


Avantasia Fun-Shots

by triumphmusic1980



Category: Andre Matos - Fandom, Avantasia, Tobias Sammet - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:14:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 65,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26463985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/triumphmusic1980/pseuds/triumphmusic1980
Summary: Various fun prompt based Avantasia one-shots!
Comments: 41
Kudos: 8





	1. Shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The protags go shopping. What could possibly go wrong?

**Prompt 1: Shopping**

_Featuring: Avantasia Protags_

Aaron took in a tired breath as he sat in the parked car, his hands still on the wheel. Gabriel sat in the passenger side next to him. He was fiddling with the car radio, ever fascinated by the “device that allows one to hear voices from the beyond.” Scarecrow and Enty were in the back seats, with Scarecrow and Enty arguing about whether there was life on mars or not. Aaron rested his head on the wheel. He could get through this. It was just a shopping day. It was just a shopping day…

“Ok, everyone, out of the car.” He said, opening the door. The others followed suit. They were out of groceries and needed to stock up, and Aaron would have gone alone, but he couldn’t leave the others alone for too long. Not after what happened last time. He pulled the grocery list out of his pocket and began walking towards the store when he heard Enty let out a cry.

“What’s wrong now?” he said, turning around. Enty had jumped to the side and was now hiding behind a car.

“I forgot to bring a hat or something…” he said quietly. Aaron sighed. The man was terrified of being in overly public places and never went out without some sort of disguise. Aaron was about to say something when he saw Scarecrow walk over and throw his own top hat onto Enty’s head, hiding a good portion of the black flames.

“You lose it, I will make you rue the day you ever-”

He was cut off as Enty embraced him in a hug.

“Thank you, Scarecrow!” he yelled. Scarecrow just rolled his eyes and shoved the excitable man off him.

“Can we get moving already?” Scarecrow grumbled, walking past the smiling Enty. Gabriel was smirking behind him. The four entered the store, Aaron still looking down at the list.

“Ok, guys, to start we need- oh come on.” He said, throwing his arms down. The other three were already gone. He sighed and grabbed a cart. Just one day without an issue, just one day…

Was that too much to ask?

~

Scarecrow was pushing a cart through the store, Enty sitting in the main basket. The duo entered the alcohol aisle.

“Ok, Enty did you hear what Aaron said the budget was?” he asked, eyeing the shelves.

“Nope.” He said peppily. Scarecrow paused a moment then shrugged. He grabbed about seven different bottles and put them in the cart next to Enty who picked up a bottle and eyed it.

“This looks tasty!”

“It’s not.” Scarecrow replied, pushing the cart along. As he went, a store employee walked up to them.

“Sir, you are aware only kids are allowed in the carts, right?” she said, eyeing Enty.

“He can do what he wants.” Scarecrow said plainly, brushing past the employee.

“Bye lady!” Enty waved as they turned a corner. The woman sighed. She didn’t get paid enough for this.

~

Gabriel walked through the giant store. What was considered a simple market in this world could pass as a grand palace in his. There was so much stuff to look at, he didn’t know where to begin. As he walked, he found himself in the home department. He eyed the shelves and saw tons of different candles of all colors and sizes in front of him.

He picked one up and smelled it, loving it. Smiling, he began grabbing as many as he could. He used these things constantly in his room and always liked having backups, as he went through them quite quickly. He didn’t like using electricity if he didn’t have to. Struggling to hold it all, he decided he may need a cart…

~

Aaron walked down the snack isle. He knew he had to buy the others something entertaining and sugary to keep them occupied at home. He picked up a box of fruit rollups, eying the box. These things didn’t even look like food…

He put his glasses on and turned the box around to read the label.

“Ace…acetylated…mono…glycerides…what? Malic _acid_? Is this stuff even edible?” he muttered, reading the odd words on the box. He held the box down and eyed the shelf. Did all this stuff have these odd chemicals in it? He put the box down on the floor and picked up another item, scanning the label. It had the same odd ingredients. He put that box down next to the other and picked up another. He was too busy reading the labels to notice Enty glide behind him down another aisle.

~

Scarecrow was turned around from his cart, eying the various frozen dinners in the freezer before him. He hated cooking and whenever it was his turn to do so, he always used these. Aaron hated it, but Scarecrow didn’t care. He grabbed a few random things and threw them in the cart. He was about to carry on when he stopped. The cart only had the items in. Enty was gone.

He looked around him in disbelief. How had he gotten away without him seeing? He saw no sign of the man around him. Letting out a frustrated grumble he pushed his cart and carried on. He had to be around here somewhere…

He turned a few corners and saw not Enty, but Gabriel, staring with confusion at a DVD section. Scarecrow walked forward to meet him.

“The hell are you staring at?” he said, joining him. Gabriel just motioned vaguely to the area in front of him.

“I looked at these books, but there’s no pages inside! Just these odd shiny circle things…” he said, picking up a DVD case he had opened. Scarecrow rolled his eyes.

“That’s a movie, Gabriel.”

“But how do you read it?”

“You don’t, you idiot, you watch it. On the TV. You know, the big black thing in the living room?”

“The magic image box?” he said, curiously.

“…Yeah.” He turned around. He didn’t want to deal with explaining things to Gabriel today. He stopped when he saw Gabriel’s cart which had about thirty various candles in it. He smiled.

“Hey Gabriel…” he said, walking towards the cart.

“Yeah?” the man replied, not looking up from looking inside the DVD case. He was examining the disc, trying to find words on it.

“You know…when you buy store-bought candles, you should always test them to make sure they work…” he said. He saw a rack with lighters on it next to him. Gabriel turned to see Scarecrow smiling maniacally behind him.

~

Enty glided through the store, eying the strange and new things around him. He came upon the toy aisle, the bright colors standing out to him. He walked on and came upon a bin of various stuffed animals. He picked one up. He liked it. Maybe Aaron would let him get one…

He eyed the bin and picked up another one. Maybe this one instead…

He picked up another…

~

Aaron was still standing in the snack aisle, a pile of various boxes scattered on the floor around him. He had opened a good number of them and was comparing the contents, trying to figure out the makeup of whatever was inside of them. Surely there was some explanation somewhere…

He had his notepad and pen out and was scribbling away when he heard footsteps next to him.

“Sir, may I ask what this is?” a woman who worked there asked, motioning to the mess on the floor.

“Science. Now please, I think I’ve got something here…” he said, motioning to his notepad. The woman was about to say something when the two of them turned around as a yell came from outside of the aisle. They looked on and saw a shopping cart fly by, a large fire raging inside it. They heart a loud crash, the sound of glass breaking, and more screaming. The fire sprinklers proceeded to turn on, showering everything in water as an alarm began to blare. Aaron held his hand out, examining the indoor rain as the woman put her head in her hands.

“I don’t get paid enough for this…” she muttered, slowly walking away. Aaron put his notepad away and walked to the end of the aisle. He looked to the left and saw the entire alcohol section was now on fire and even with the indoor rain, the flames did not seem to be slowing. He looked to the right and saw Scarecrow laughing like mad, pointing to the fire, his makeup beginning to drip even more from the rain. Gabriel was next to him, panicking and running in circles. Aaron leaned back into his aisle and rested his forehead against the shelf.

Well, here’s another store they were going to be blacklisted from…

He marched out from the aisle towards the duo. Scarecrow was in tears from laughter and didn’t see the man approaching. Gabriel noticed and his eyes widened. He quickly began tapping on Scarecrow’s shoulder to get his attention. The man eventually wiped is eyes and looked up.

“Shit!” he yelled, looking around him. He quickly grabbed Gabriel’s arm and ran in the opposite direction of Aaron, dragging the novice behind him. Aaron watched silently as the duo ran, with Scarecrow slipping on the wet floor and falling with a crash, and Gabriel stumbling as his now wet hair blocked his view, causing him to crash into a shelf and fall to the floor as well. Aaron sighed and walked towards them. He leaned over Scarecrow.

“Where’s Enty, Crow?” he said, edge in his voice.

“Uhhh…”

Arron looked down the main aisle when he heard a familiar yell. Gabriel and Scarecrow pulled themselves up and the trio made their way towards the sound. They stopped in surprise as Enty quickly rounded a corner, his arms full of stuffed animals.

“We have to save them!” he yelled as he made a beeline for the exit.

“Enty, no! That’s stealing!” Aaron called after Enty, chasing him out the door, with Gabriel following. Scarecrow laughed once more and followed, but not without picking up a few scattered alcohol bottles on the way.

~

Aaron stood by the car, his head resting on the driver-side window glass. He had his face covered with his hands. Gabriel was standing on the other side of the car, wringing the water out of his hair. Enty was shoving the various plushies into the trunk of the car, with Scarecrow waving his hat around, trying to shake the water off. Firetrucks had appeared and were tending to the store.

“…I hate…all of you…” Aaron muttered; his voice muffled through his hands. Scarecrow snickered.

“Come on, you drove us here. If anything, this is your fault!” he said with a laugh. Aaron put his hands down and just stared at him.

“Can I keep these?” Enty yelled with a smile, closing the trunk.

“My candles…” Gabriel said quietly, eying the store.

“Ok. That settles it.” Aaron snapped, getting into the car.

“Settles what?” Gabriel replied.

“You all are walking home.” Aaron said, slamming his door shut and locking the doors.

“But…” Enty said sadly, but Scarecrow put a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s fine, Enty. I know how to hotwire a car. Come on, follow me.” He said, leading the other two away.

Aaron looked behind them and saw Scarecrow and the others walk away towards a random car in the lot.

“Shit, _no!_ Guys!” He yelled, jumping out of the car following them.

One normal day…was that too much to ask?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Cracktasia! Thanks for the help~


	2. Prank

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scarecrow has a gift for his housemates.

**Prompt 2: Prank**

_Featuring: Avantasia protags_

Scarecrow slid in the front door, a grocery bag in his hand and an evil smile on his face. He had been out for the day and had picked up something that had the potential for _hours_ of entertainment…

He walked into the living room and saw Gabriel and Enty attempting a card came on the couch, and he saw Aaron in the kitchen at the table, mixing various chemicals together in different glasses. He walked over to the two on the couch and threw an object at each of them.

The duo each picked up the item and examined it. It was a cylindrical tube made of some sort of paper.

“Crow, what is…” Gabriel started.

“Put a finger in each side and pull. If you get stuck, that’s bad.” He said quickly, walking away towards the kitchen. Gabriel and Enty exchanged a look then obliged, following his instruction. “Here, smarty-pants, you too.” Scarecrow said, throwing the paper tube at Aaron. Aaron set down the glass he was holding and picked up the object and examined it.

Scarecrow walked over to the bar between the kitchen and the living room and sat down, ready for the events that were about to transpire. He eyed the package inside his grocery bag that read ‘Chinese finger trap’. He smiled evilly.

Enty had gotten his fingers as they should be in each side of the trap. He looked at Scarecrow with a grin, but the moment he pulled his hands away and found them stuck, his smile faded. He began tugging as hard as he could, trying to free himself, but to no avail.

Gabriel had done the same and tried to pull his hand apart, but he too was stuck. Enty had started crying.

“Scarecrow it’s stuck!” he yelled, close to sobbing.

“What witchcraft is this!” Gabriel screamed at the trap on his hand. “Damn contraption!” He was waving his arms around wildly, but he was still stuck. “Why won’t the blasted thing leave?” Scarecrow stood and walked over to him.

“It’s a demon catcher, Gabriel. It catches demons!” he said, smiling wickedly. Gabriel’s eyes widened in fear.

“Wh…but I…Impossible!” he yelled, looking back towards the device. Scarecrow pulled his own trap out and put it on, then removed it easily.

“See? I can get out fine!” He said, holding down laughter.

“But…but I can’t be…” he said, looking at the device. “I can’t be a demon! How am I a demon?!” he yelled, close to crying himself. “What witchcraft is this! What have I done?! I am always a good follower of God!”

“You’ve sinned, Gabriel. It knows.”

“But I can’t recall anything…”

“I don’t know, you did steal one of my snacks the other day…” Scarecrow said slyly. Gabriel’s jaw dropped.

“B-but I said I would pay you back!” he yelled, panicking. Gabriel looked back down at the trap. “ _I CAN’T BE A DEMON!!!”_ He screamed, clutching his head, promptly running out of the living room and up the stairs. Scarecrow let a wheeze of laughter escape him as he heard Gabriel’s door slam.

“Am…am I a demon too?!” Enty cried, his shadows beginning to flare. Scarecrow didn’t speak. He would laugh if he did. Enty started crying even more, causing Aaron to run into the room. Scarecrow leaned against the couch clutching his stomach, trying his hardest not to laugh when he saw Aaron was stuck as well.

“Enty, it’s ok! It’s ok!” Aaron said, trying to console the panicking man with his hands locked together. Scarecrow was wheezing now, laughing so hard he wasn’t even making noise.

Enty couldn’t take it anymore. Scarecrow and Aaron covered their ears as Enty let out a blood-curdling scream, his shadows flaring violently. Scarecrow was still smiling like mad. In his hysterics, Enty pulled his hands apart with force and the trap snapped in half.

His screaming stopped immediately, and he just stared at the two halves of the trap, now stuck on each finger. He slowly put his hands to his face and started crying silently. Aaron ran back over and started trying to console the man once more. Scarecrow was on the floor, curled up and laughing as hard as he could. He took in a deep breath and sat up and looked at the duo.

Enty was just crying silently and Aaron had lowered his hands down. As he did so, he pushed them together accidentally and the trap proceeded to fall of and land on the floor between the two. All three were silent as they stared at the device on the floor. Enty’s crying stopped completely as he stared.

No one spoke and it took all of Scarecrow’s willpower to not burst out laughing. As the trio stared, they all looked up when they heard thumping coming from above them. Gabriel came running down the stairs, fingers still stuck. He had his bible under his arm with a vile of holy water.

“IM GOING TO THE CHURCH TO BE FORGIVEN!” He screamed, bolting out the door and running down the driveway. Scarecrow lost it. He couldn’t breathe as he watched with teary eyes at Aaron who ran out the door after Gabriel, calling his name, but to no avail. Enty was still staring at the floor in silence.

Scarecrow just laid on the floor laughing, tears streaming down his face. He eventually sat up and leaned against the back of the couch.

“Ah, an afternoon of entertainment, all for 75 cents!” he said, pulling himself to his feet. He walked past the still frozen Enty and headed to his room. He should probably hide before Aaron came back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Bee :) Thanks for co-writing!


	3. Travel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron overworks and needs a break. Gabriel helps him relax.

**Prompt 3: Travel**

_Featuring: Avantasia Protags_

Aaron was tired. Really tired. He had been up late for the past few days working on a new broken clock project of his, and when he was in the right mindset, he could work for days straight without resting. He absentmindedly made himself a coffee in the kitchen, not noticing Scarecrow walk in.

“Hey, you alive-GAH!” Scarecrow yelled alongside Aaron who screamed as well. Aaron hadn’t noticed his friend, and the moment Scarecrow touched his shoulder, Aaron jumped in fear, dropping his coffee to the floor. “Geez, the hell…” Scarecrow said, eyeing the shaking man in front of him who was scrambling to clean the mess. “I think it’s time you slept for real, pal…” Scarecrow said, helping Aaron with the mess.

“N-no, I am so close to finishing this…” Aaron replied, wiping up the spilled coffee.

“Aaron, you haven’t slept in days, you’re jittery as hell, and earlier today you were trying to use the TV remote on the microwave.” Scarecrow said, raising an eyebrow. Aaron met his gaze for a moment then went back to cleaning.

“It’s fine…I-I’m almost done…I almost figured out the problem…” Aaron muttered, still wiping the floor.

“Aaron, you are literally cleaning the floor in the wrong place.” Scarecrow said, annoyed. Aaron looked down and saw he was indeed about a foot away from the actual mess. He quicky cleaned it properly and stood.

“Look, I’m _fine_ , alright? Just…a few more sketches to make…” He said tiredly as he walked towards the basement door.

“You really need to sleep better. You’re the main driver and I am fairly sure you are legally drunk at this point…” Scarecrow said, walking past Aaron towards the stairs. “And I don’t trust you behind the wheel when you’re like this. You need to sleep more like Gabriel. He’s meditating again. Lord knows it takes an actual explosive to even come close to waking him up when he’s like that.” Scarecrow finished as he ascended the stairs.

Aaron watched his roommate head upstairs and close his door. He shook his head and went downstairs to the basement. He would sleep when he finished. He was almost done.

Or he thought he was.

Aaron had now been sitting at his workbench for over an hour, just staring at a broken and dismantled clock in front of him. He picked up his pencil and began sketching again. He had to finish this...

After a moment of writing, he looked down and realized his pencil wasn’t even sharpened, and he hadn’t been writing anything. Even if he had, it probably wouldn’t have been legible. He threw the pencil aside to the floor and pulled the clock closer to his face. He just stared at it intensively.

“Why…won’t…you…work…” he muttered, lightly hitting his hand against the top of the clock. He set the clock down and stared at it once more. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed at this point.

How could he. The clock was broken.

He felt the corners of his vision begin to blur a bit as he stared intensively ahead at the device, hoping the answer would come to him. His vision became more distorted as he stared.

“I can see it…truth…it’s all getting clearer…” he muttered, squinting as he eyed the device.

His head slammed down onto the desk, causing the lose gears and bits of metal to clatter as he did so. All feeling lost, he succumbed to his exhaustion.

~

“Ok, so you need to hold it steady, or it’ll misfire and hit something way off of your target…”

“It’s really hard to hold…”

“You’ll get it with practice.”

Elderane was standing beside Gabriel, helping hold his arm steady as he held a bow and arrow in his hand.

“Ok, now pull it back carefully…” Elderane said, guiding Gabriel’s arm back. Gabriel pulled back on the bow, holding it as steady as he could. “Ok, now, release!” Elderane yelled, letting go of Gabriel’s arm. Gabriel did so and the arrow flew forward, sticking into a tree a way ahead.

“Hey I did it!” Gabriel said with a smile, lowering the bow. Elderane lightly hit him on the shoulder.

“Sure did! Great first try!” He replied as he walked over to get the arrow. “Not much flight time, but that’ll improve as we get your arm strength built up…” He said, tugging the arrow out of the tree. He got it and walked back to Gabriel. Ok, why don’t we try it aga-”

“WHAT the _FUCK?!”_

Elderane and Gabriel spun around at the sudden new voice, with Elderane pulling his dagger out in response. Gabriel’s eyes widened as the bow fell from his hands.

“ _A-Aaron?!”_ Gabriel yelled as his eyes landed on the new figure. Aaron stood before them, a look of fear on his face. Elderane eyed Gabriel.

“This is your friend?” He asked sternly. Gabriel nodded in response.

“Y-yeah! He is…” He replied, confusion in his voice. There was no way Aaron could be here…

“Ah! My apologies!” Elderane said, sheathing the dagger. He walked towards the wide-eyed Aaron who did not move. Elderane reached down and pulled up Aaron’s hand, shaking it. “Gabriel has told me all about you! He- wait…” Elderane said, pausing, his smile fading. He reeled his hand back and punched Aaron in the shoulder, causing him to take a step back and grip his shoulder.

“What the hell…” Aaron muttered, rubbing his arm.

“That’s for letting Gabriel get into so much trouble!” Elderane yelled. Gabriel ran up and pulled him back.

“It’s not his fault, Elderane! I told you!”

“Still, he could try harder…” Elderane growled.

“Elderane!” Gabriel sneered.

“Sorry! Ok, sorry…I let my emotions get the better of me, I apologize…” The elf said, regaining his composure. He eyed the still wide-eyed Aaron who just stared at the elf in fear. “Is he always this quiet?” Elderane asked, poking the unmoving Aaron’s arm.

“No, he’s not, Aaron are you alright?” Gabriel said, edging closer to his friend. Aaron’s gaze kept rapidly switching between Elderane and Gabriel.

“I think your friend is broken…” Elderane said as he circled Aaron.

“Aaron, how did you get here?!” Gabriel yelled, grabbing Aaron’s arm, and making him look at him. Aaron just stuttered.

“I…you…Gabe…he…” Aaron said, eying Elderane. “WHAT IS THIS?!” He yelled, throwing his hands to his hair, and backing up, away from the duo.

“Aaron, calm down!” Gabriel yelled, walking towards his fearful friend.

“What…what is _he?!_ Where am I?!” He yelled, pointing to Elderane, who just looked at himself confused.

“I am Elderane! Prince of Avantasia!”

“Avanwhodia?”

“Avantasia, Aaron! I’ve mentioned it a few times before…” Gabriel said. Aaron met his gaze. “It’s the spiritual world in the back of everyone’s mind.” Aaron just stared at him.

“S-spirit world…?”

“Yes, Aaron.”

“…IS THIS WHERE YOU GO WHEN YOU MEDITATE?!” He yelled, pointing to Gabriel, who just rolled his eyes.

“ _Yes_ , Aaron! Yes! I come here. Elderane is my friend, I have been here before back in my old world, and I can come here through my mind when I focus enough.” Gabriel said quietly, trying to calm his friend. Aaron looked back at Elderane.

“What is he then?”

“I’m right here you know…” He said quietly, looking down.

“He’s an elf, Aaron.” Gabriel answered quickly.

“Like…from the stories?”

“Yes, like from the stories, but _he_ is real. Sort of…it’s complicated.” Gabriel said, eying the elf who just shrugged. Aaron just stared ahead.

“I-I must be dreaming, this isn’t…this isn’t possible…”

“Well, you _must_ be dreaming. It’s the only way you would have been able to get here.” Gabriel said.

“Yeah, how did you accomplish this?” Elderane said, intrigued. Aaron just shrugged.

“Not sure…I mean…I haven’t slept in three days…and I am running solely on coffee and determination…”

“So…you were _so_ exhausted you _transcended realities_?” Gabriel said, crossing his arms. Aaron paused a moment then looked up and nodded.

“Guess so…”

“Fascinating…” Elderane said, circling Aaron once more. “I’ve never heard of anyone _forcing_ their mind to allow them access to Avantasia…”

“Actually…” Aaron said, looking around. “I may have…been here…before…”

“What?!” Gabriel and Elderane said in unison. Aaron just searched the back of his mind.

“Yeah…is there like…a giant evil looking tower thing here…?” He asked, looking around, causing Elderane’s eyes to widen.

“How do you…”

“I overworked myself back in my world while dealing with a mental crisis about the inevitability of time and its inconsistent pace, so I worked myself to exhaustion once again and I awoke in some…odd place like this…” He said, eyeing the sunlit woods.

“You…you have been here before? Impossible…” Elderane said, eying the man. He turned to Gabriel. “Do you think perhaps your counterparts have some built in connection to this place like you…?” He asked, gazing into the distance. Both Aaron and Gabriel pondered the idea.

“Well…Scarecrow has had some…perception issues…but he would have for sure mentioned coming here…” Aaron said.

“I’ve mentioned this place. He doesn’t think it’s real…”

“What about your friend Enty?” Elderane asked. Aaron shook his head.

“We couldn’t say. Neither could he. None of us, not even him, knows about his past.”

“Intriguing…”

The trio paused for a moment, lost in thought.

“Wait, wait, I was exhausted a minute ago, why do I feel fine now?” Aaron asked the duo before him.

“Well, in most circumstances, when one arrives here, their physical body remains in their world in a stasis state, and their spiritual body comes here. Now, certain major physical injuries on the body in reality will affect the one here, but minor ones or simply exhaustion shouldn’t have too much of an effect…” Elderane said, pondering the question.

“I-I see…”

“Aaron, are you sure you’re alright?” Gabriel asked sympathetically. Aaron just shrugged.

“I mean…I’ve seen some weird stuff before, but this is…impossible…”

“And yet here you are!” Elderane laughed. “This world is as real as you believe it to be, and you cannot deny its influence.” Aaron just eyed Gabriel.

“You have a lot of explaining to do, you know.”

“All for another time! Now tell me, would you like us to show you around while you’re here?” Elderane said, putting his hand on Aaron’s shoulder.

“I-I really do need to get back to work…”

“Aaron, you’ve been fiddling with that device for _days,_ you need a break!” Gabriel said, walking closer to the duo. “Come on, you need to relax. Let us show you Sesidhbana!” he finished, motioning North.

“Oh, yes! A great idea! Come, it will help you clear your troubled mind!” Elderane said, taking the lead. Aaron just stood in place.

“But…”

“Come on, Aaron! You _need_ a break!” Gabriel yelled, motioning for Aaron to follow. Aaron let out a defeated sigh and reluctantly followed the odd duo into the unknown.

He had been to _a_ spirit world before, but…nothing like this…

~

“Is he dead?” Enty asked fearfully as he watched Scarecrow poke a passed-out Aaron.

“No, but he _is_ dead to the _world_ …” Scarecrow said quietly as he eyed his sleeping roommate whose head was face down on his work desk. Aaron was breathing quietly, completely knocked out. Scarecrow let out a sigh and grabbed one of the small blankets off the nearby couch and draped it over his friend. He also made sure to remove Aaron’s glasses and set them beside his head on the desk. “Quiet day, I guess…” Scarecrow muttered, walking back of the stairs with Enty trailing behind him. Gabriel was passed out upstairs and now Aaron was passed out downstairs.

“What are we going to do now, then?” Enty asked as they reached the living room.

“Hmmm, well, no Gabriel to criticize us and no Aaron to stop us…guess we can do whatever we want.” Scarecrow said with a shrug.

“What do you want to do?”

Scarecrow thought about the question. As he did so, his eyes were drawn to the window where he saw their car sitting in the driveway. He smiled.

~

“You really never thought to tell us about this, huh.” Aaron said in a deadpan voice as he stared at the entrance to a grand gold and white city.

“Would you have believed me?” Gabriel said, walking past him towards Elderane who was already inside. Aaron just shook his head.

“P-probably not…” He muttered, following the duo. He had never seen such a place before. It was like a real kingdom, but…stranger. He saw more elves around the streets who gave him curious glances as he walked past them. He hurried past to catch up with his friend.

Aaron couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Now, he had been to an _actual_ spirit world before that had ghosts and spirits and…not fun things. But this…this was straight out of some fantasy book.

“It’s a peaceful place!” Gabriel said as Aaron caught up with him. “When some evil tower isn’t trying to destroy it…”

“Yeah, what even was that…” Aaron asked. He had seen this odd tower before in his previous exhaustion-induced vision but got no answer as to what it was.

“I can explain it later, I don’t want to stress you out…” Gabriel said. Aaron just huffed and kept walking. More people eyed him as he walked past.

“Are there like…other humans here?”

“Not that I know of.” Gabriel said. “Should be just us. Oh, and people may also be staring because your clothes don’t exactly fit in…” he said, eyeing Aaron’s Victorian jacket which was about 200 years ahead of its time. Aaron just gave an awkward laugh and pulled his coat tighter, trying to avoid the stares of the people. Something just kept telling him he didn’t belong here…

“Here is the palace!” Elderane said, facing the duo, pride in his eyes. Aaron rounded the corner and his eyes went wide as he approached the stairs to a grand castle of sorts, with golden spires towering high. His eyes were drawn to a large golden clock embedded in the center tower. His jaw dropped. He had never seen anything so beautiful.

“I told you he would like the clock…” Gabriel whispered to Elderane, who gave a small laugh. Aaron was overwhelmed. None of this could be real. He just stared at the sight before him, unmoving.

“Ah, I think he may have gotten stuck again…” Elderane said with a smile. Gabriel rolled his eyes and grabbed Aaron’s arm, dragging him up the stairs.

“Come on, Aaron! Elderane has something else you may like.” He said as he dragged his friend up towards the main door.

The trio walked into the palace lobby, with Aaron’s eyes rapidly moving from scene to scene, hardly able to comprehend it all.

“Do you like it?” Elderane said with a smile as he leaned against a stairway railing. Aaron just nodded, his eyes wandering.

“Y-yep, this is uh…pretty… _neat_ …” He said quietly. There were paintings and carvings and intricate artwork all around the area. Aaron had never seen such a beautiful sight. But, as he eyed the splendor, a thought occurred to him.

“W-wait, if this is like…a palace…in a kingdom…are there like…rival kingdoms?” He asked Elderane as they ascended the stairs.

“There are other cities, but this one is the capital! There are no ‘rivals’ however, Avantaisa is a mostly peaceful place.”

“Mostly?”

“Everything that shines in the sun casts a shadow, my friend. That tower you have seen…tis the darkness of Avantasia. But do not fret! It, along with its followers, have been silent since Gabriel helped us defeat it a while ago.” Aaron spun to face Gabriel, who just looked shyly away.

“ _You_ helped defeat some evil force of darkness?” He asked, not believing it.

“Oh yes! Gabriel was most helpful! He ran through an active battlefield, he did! He has never let me down before, I assure you.” Elderane said with a laugh.

“Ok, you _really_ have some explaining to do later.” Aaron whispered to Gabriel, who just nodded.

“Here we are!” Elderane said as they reached an upper floor door.

“What is…” Aaron started, but Elderane pushed the door open, which led outside.

“Gabriel said you had a mechanics mind and like working with intricate machinery, so I thought you would like to see our transport…” Elderane said, holding the door open for Aaron and Gabriel.

Aaron stepped outside and froze. Before him was some flat bit of roof with…some large wooden mechanical wonder on it. It appeared as a mix between a plane, boat, and hot air balloon.

“What is _that?!”_ He yelled, throwing his hands to his head. He had never seen anything built like this before.

“That is our flying machine! I understand you have ‘planes’ in your modern world, but I assure you, this here is as reliable and intricate as anything you have seen before!” Elderane said excitedly. Aaron had to agree. He saw mechanical works around the entire thing with wires, gears, beams, canvas, and intricate machinery tying it all together. He had never seen any mode of old wooden transportation so complex.

“So…would you like to take it out for a spin?” Elderane said with an excited smile. Gabriel rolled his eyes. Elderane loved his plane and opted to use it any chance he could. Aaron just nodded, his eyes not leaving the marvel in front of him. “Yes! Let me get some hands…” Elderane said, vanishing behind them through the door. Gabriel walked up to Aaron.

“You taking this all alright?”

“Not even close.” Aaron said. He still didn’t believe he was really here. How could he? He was probably so tired his mind just lost it and he created this entire place.

“You get used to it, trust me…I hadn’t a clue what I was doing when I first came here. Not a clue!” Gabriel laughed. Aaron finally turned to look at him.

“How did you take all this in when you arrived?”

“I am still not done processing the whole thing, I will admit.” Gabriel said with a laugh. “You at least have some point of reference on fantasy stories and technology like this…I had none of that.” He said. Aaron could sense hint of sadness in his voice.

“You…had Elderane to help you, right?” Gabriel avoided his gaze.

“Yes, I did…and some…others…but I still felt quite alone, I will admit. I hadn’t exactly seen an elf before… But! Everything worked out!” he said. Aaron could tell Gabriel was pushing something down. He knew that tone of voice. “Besides, I would have never met you all…”

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t shut down like I would have…” Aaron said with a laugh. Gabriel joined him.

“Yes, though I didn’t really have a choice in the matter. I was just…thrown into this world without a clue. To be honest, it was all quite a confusing rush…”

“And that’s why you like to spend so much time with your peace and quiet then, huh? To make up for a lifetime worth of excitement?”

“Exactly!” Gabriel laughed. “If only you knew…”

“We can exchange stories at another time. I have had my share of spirit world ah…escapades…but none were like this.” Aaron said, motioning towards the flying machine. Gabriel smiled.

“I’d like to hear them sometime.” He said. Aaron smiled back when Elderane ran back through the door, a huge smile on his face.

“ _Found my goggles!”_ He yelled, walking past the duo towards the plane. “Come on, lads! Who knows how long you will be here, so let’s go!” the elf yelled, climbing the ladder on the side of the machine. Aaron eyed Gabriel.

“He…likes his plane…” Gabriel said, walking towards it. Aaron just laughed and followed.

The duo reached the top to see Elderane struggling with his goggles and their length.

“Blasted things…” he said, nearly snapping them back into his face. Gabriel stifled a laugh. After a bit, a few more elves joined them, and the machine began springing to life. Aaron watched as Elderane fiddled with the controls, while Gabriel clung to the railing beside him.

“I…am not a fan of the height…” Gabriel said, inching closer towards Elderane. Aaron smiled. He watched as the place jostled and came to life as it began rising, a fire burning into the canvas, and the gears and wooden beams rotating as the device rose. He looked over the balcony and saw the city begin to fade away below them. Elderane laughed as he turned the wheel, causing the ship to turn. Gabriel clung tighter to the railing and Aaron could see him squeezing his eyes shut. He shook his head and walked over to the far edge railing that overlooked the ground below. What a beautiful place this was…

He saw mountains to the distance, a great expanse of forests, an ocean far away to the other direction, and the gleaming city below. He took in a slow breath and felt himself relax for the first time in a while, all anxious thoughts leaving his mind. Although…he couldn’t help but think he was forgetting something important…

~

 _“RUNRUNRUNRUNRUN!”_ Scarecrow screamed as he sprinted, his eyes wide with fear. He hopped into the driver’s side of their car and slammed the door shut as Enty hopped into the passenger side.

“We angered them!” Enty yelled, tears in his eyes as he looked behind them out the back window. Scarecrow could hear a helicopter. “They’re gonna catch us!”

“Not on my _damn_ watch!” He screamed as he slammed his foot onto the gas. Enty clung to the handle above the door as the car sped forward, tires squealing. He looked back and saw flashing police lights.

“They’re gonna get us, Crow!”

“They can _EAT MY FUCKING DUST!”_ Scarecrow yelled as he laughed maniacally, pushing the pedal down harder. He was NOT going down _today!_

~

After some rounds of arial sightseeing, Elderane landed the flying machine and the trio descended the ladder. Aaron walked to the edge of the landing roof and saw a golden sunset shining beyond the mountains, sending pure golden light across the city below. Gabriel joined him.

“You really have been holding out on us, huh?” He laughed. Gabriel smiled.

“Well, I didn’t know you would even _be able_ to come here! It should be _impossible_ , really…” He said, pondering the thought. Aaron thought about it as well. How was he able to come here…

“It’s all set lads! Let us go enjoy the evening with some drinks!” Elderane yelled, removing his goggles from his eyes. Aaron and Gabriel began to follow him, with Gabriel smiling at how relaxed Aaron was. The man really needed a break.

The group reached a dining hall that was busy and loud with people. Aaron could hear old medieval music playing in the distance. He saw grand candlelit chandeliers above the hall, suspended by white wooden beams.

“Come! Let us enjoy the night!” Elderane said, drink in hand. Aaron was handed a mug of…something, as was Gabriel, who took a sip.

“You like this stuff?” Aarons said with a laugh. Gabriel drank, but he was very particular about what he chose.

“Yea, it’s actually one I really like. It’s like the stuff back home…” Gabriel said, almost sadly. Aaron lightly hit him on the shoulder.

“Ey, like the elf said. Let’s enjoy the night, alright?” He said with a smile. Gabriel smiled back and nodded.

~

“I AM NOT GOING BACK TO JAIL _TONIGHT!!!”_ Scarecrow screamed, swerving the car through the city. Enty was screeching in the passenger side.

_“CROW!!! THE BRIDGE IS OUT!”_

_“THAT’S NEVER STOPPED ME BEFORE!!!”_ He screamed with a grin, pushing the gas pedal as low as it could go. The two screamed as the road vanished beneath them.

~

Gabriel was laughing so hard he couldn’t breathe. The group had been drinking for the past few hours and he could tell even Elderane was starting to lose it. Aaron had donated his jacket to Elderane, who was now wearing it quite proudly while standing on the table, with Aaron on a separate table beside him.

The two were attempting to sing along with the music playing, but Elderane was too out of it to sing the right words, and Aaron had no idea what the old song was, so both were making up random lyrics. Elderane still had a glass in his hand, though with how much he was dancing, it was basically all spilled out by now.

Gabriel just sat at a table below them, watching in enjoyment. He wasn’t drunk. He guessed someone had to be the voice of reason tonight. Gabriel smiled as Elderane clumsily hopped off the table and began marching around the area in time with the music, with Aaron following behind. He watched as Elderane ran smack into a table.

“Ey, watch where you’re goin’…” He said, kicking the table slightly. Aaron hadn’t seen the elf stop and rammed right into him. “Watch where yOu’re going…” Elderane said, facing Aaron who was looking around the room.

“Sorry I…thoyou were someone else…” he said, taking another drink. Elderane looked at him.

“Who am I…?”

“Well, you got that coat…maybe you’re me!” Aaron said with a laugh. Elderane looked down at himself and smiled.

“Heh, maybe…what am I like…? I forgot…”

“A uhh…smart…really smart…” Aaron said with a nod. “And CLEVER!” He yelled, pointing his mug toward the elf, but it proceeded to slip from his hands and crash to the floor. Aaron just eyed it. “Dang thing…needed a better…warranty…” he muttered, kicking the pieces.

“Whatsa warranty?” Elderane slurred, also kicking a piece of the mug.

“Iz uhh…microwaves…they have em’…” Aaron said as he grabbed another mug off the table. He tried to take a drink, but it was empty. “Damnit…” he said, tossing the mug over his shoulder to the floor.

“Iz ok, we got sO much more of that…” Elderane said, turning around. Gabriel watched as the elf took a few steps then ran smack into a pillar. He fell to the ground out cold.

“Where’d I go…?” Aaron muttered, looking in every direction but down. Gabriel smiled and got to his feet.

“Oooohkay guys, I think we’ve had enough for tonight…” He said, walking towards the passed-out elf on the floor. With help from a guard, Gabriel picked the man up and put his arm around his shoulder. “Aaron, you wait here alright?” he said. Aaron just slid down to the floor against the pillar and nodded.

Gabriel helped carry Elderane to his room upstairs and put him in his bed. His friend didn’t stir in the slightest. He still was wearing Aarons jacket. Gabriel would get it later, he wanted to let his friend rest. He walked out of the room and pulled the door shut. Gabriel smiled and shook his head as he walked back down the stairs to the dining hall. Elderane recovered quickly. He would be fine in a few hours. Gabriel made his way back downstairs and saw Aaron still sitting against the pillar, his eyes closed. Gabriel kneeled beside him.

“Aaron? You still awake?” Gabriel said, nudging the man’s shoulder. Aaron mumbled something unintelligible then opened his eyes slightly.

“Wazzat…?” He said, trying to focus on the man before him.

“Aaron, you need to focus on home, alright? That’s how you get back.”

“H-home?”

“Yeah, the house. Just close your eyes and focus, alright?” Gabriel said quietly. Aaron just nodded and leaned his head back against the pillar and closed his eyes. After a few moments Gabriel watched as his friend flickered out of sight before him. Gabriel sighed and stood up. He had to go back as well. Lord knows what Scarecrow and Enty got into…

~

Aaron’s head snapped up and he let out a yell as reality came crashing back to him. He reached for his chest and felt his heart beating rapidly. He looked around. He was in his basement. He was home. He was…

“Damnit, I’m sober…” he said tiredly, rubbing his eyes. He leaned back but felt something on his shoulder. He pulled a blanket off himself. He hadn’t put this here…

His eyes also landed on his glasses, which were folded on his desk. He smiled and put them on, bringing the room into better focus. He stood up tiredly and pushed his chair back. He eyed the basement. Nothing seemed out of place. He walked upstairs and eyed the dim living room. No fires. No holes in the wall. Everything was in one piece. He smiled and walked into the kitchen for a glass of water. Once he got it, he went and sat on the couch. The TV was in once piece as well and not shattered.

Maybe Crow and Enty could handle things on their own after all…

Aaron turned on the TV. He needed a bit of normalcy after today. When the TV powered up, he saw the news was on. The screen showed a helicopter camera that was following a car speeding down the highway at an alarming speed. The camera zoomed in. Aaron knew that car.

He leaned back over the couch with a blank expression and eyed the window at the front of the house. The car was missing from their driveway. He looked back to the TV and saw a still photo of a close-up of the car was on screen.

He saw a crazed Scarecrow behind the wheel and a screaming Enty in the passenger side.

Aaron powered off the TV and threw the remote down, hiding his head in his hands. There was always something, there was always _something_ … He didn’t move as he heard footsteps approach.

“Hey, glad you’re doing better! Say, have you seen Cr-”

“Don’t. Say a word…” Aaron said, holding a hand out to stop Gabriel from continuing.

“Why…”

“I want to go back, Gabriel. Now.” He said, hiding his face in his hands again.

“What? What did you see…?” Gabriel said, reaching for the remote. He powered the TV on and just stared as he saw their car driving down the highway with about ten cop cars behind it. He powered off the TV.

“Yeah, sure, we can go back.” He said quickly, tossing the remote back down to the table.

Scarecrow and Enty had this under control.

Probably.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Void and Mismatched_Shoes (thank u for the comment, this concept may not go into the other fic but it'll work here!)


	4. Elevator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The protags ride in an elevator. Things never go as planned.

**Prompt 4: Elevator**

_Featuring: Avantasia protags_

"I do not understand this.”

“Gabriel, just get in for Christ’s sake.”

“It is a small room that leads nowhere! What purpose could this serve?”

“It’s an elevator you idiot, our hotel room is like on the 15th floor, I am not walking up that many stairs.”

Scarecrow was holding open the elevator door with Aaron and Enty examining the room behind him. Gabriel stood outside the door eying the odd room.

“But…”

“Gabriel, get in here or I will _drag_ you in.” Scarecrow said, staring daggers at Gabriel, who nodded sadly and sauntered in. The doors closed behind him and Gabriel jumped back in fright.

“The doors are possessed!”

“I think they are just automatic, Gabriel…” Aaron said as he lowered his glasses and eyed the large selection of buttons on the wall, each with a number on it. “Hmmm….” Aaron hummed, pressing a random button. It lit up with a small beep and Aaron smiled. “What an interesting device!” He said, pushing more buttons, causing each to light up.

The elevator began going up and down randomly as Aaron had now hit nearly every button on the panel.

Enty was hopping in front of the door trying to look in the mirror above it, fascinated by his reflection. Gabriel had backed in the corner where he looked around the small room with wide eyes as he clung tightly to the railing, his nerves on edge. Scarecrow just stood in the corner with his eyes closed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He saw Enty continue hopping and smiled.

“Hey Enty!” He called, causing the smiling man to face him. “When the elevator goes down, if you jump, you can fly.” Scarecrow said plainly. Enty’s face lit up as he became aware of the elevator beginning its descent. Enty geared himself up and jumped right as Aaron finished hitting more buttons all at once.

As soon as Enty hit the floor and Aaron hit the buttons, the room shook, and the elevator stopped its movement. Gabriel clung tighter to the railing with white knuckles as the room rocked, nearly causing him to fall.

“Hm. I don’t think that was supposed to happen…” Aaron said, eying the area. Scarecrow just stood still as he realized they were actually stuck.

“Awww, did it break?” Enty whined, noticing they were no longer moving.

“It can’t be broken! Let me in there, you wise guy…” Scarecrow muttered, pushing past Aaron. Scarecrow pressed the door open button, but nothing happened. His nerves rising, he pressed it again harder. No change. Letting out a frustrated yell he began rapidly pounding the button as many times as he could. Aaron just stared at him.

“Crow, you know the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over an-”

“SHUT UP!” Scarecrow yelled, pulling back. They were really stuck. “I refuse to be stuck here with you lunatics!” He yelled, gripping his hair. He felt the walls begin to close in on him as he backed against the back wall.

“Crow, I’m sure this is a simple fix…” Aaron started, but was cut off as Scarecrow let out a scream as he gripped his hair tighter and turned around in place, seeking an exit. Enty saw Scarecrow’s panic and began crying himself, knowing that if Scarecrow was upset, things must be bad.

Gabriel had resorted to cowering in the corner in prayer, hoping it would do something, or at least ease his nerves. But, after a few minutes of panic from the other two, he felt his nerves spike as well.

“It’s a trial! It’s unhappy with us! We weren’t _worthyyyy…”_ He cried, tears escaping his eyes as he hunched over and held on tight to his crucifix. Aaron watched as Gabriel opened his satchel and began pulling out all his prayer gear which consisted of about eight different crosses, five candles, a photo of Jesus, a rosary, and a saltshaker. He began fiddling with the items and praying louder in the corner, nearly covering up Scarecrow’s yelling.

“There has to be a way out!” Scarecrow yelled, brushing past Enty who was regaining his composure and moving towards Gabriel to help him with his endeavors. Scarecrow began gripping at the silver doors, trying to pry them open, but to no avail.

“Crow, I don’t think those doors are budging…” Aaron said as he began unscrewing the control panel. “Let me see here…” He said, examining the wires. Scarecrow eventually gave up on the doors and his gaze turned upwards. He saw the escape hatch.

“Yes! There!” He yelled excitedly. He will not be trapped here anymore. Scarecrow ran over and used the hunched over Gabriel as footing before he got onto the railing.

“Hey!” Gabriel yelled in annoyance as Scarecrow pulled himself up to the hatch. He hit it a few times and it swung open, revealing a dark vertical shaft above them. Gabriel’s eyes widened at the sight and he turned back around and closed his eyes, going back to his prayer. Enty just fiddled with one of the candles and examined it.

Scarecrow pulled himself up and was holding himself halfway out of the hatch. He saw they were stuck halfway between floors.

“Ah! This may do it!” Aaron said, pulling out a wire. As soon as he did so, the elevator lurched and began falling at a much quicker pace. Scarecrow let out a cry of fear as the wind blew his hair into his face and he let go of the ceiling and fell back to the floor with a hard thud. Gabriel had stood up with wide eyes and was pressed against the corner as far as he could go, his knuckles white from how tightly he was gripping the railing as they fell. Enty had also stood and was laughing at the weightlessness they felt as they fell.

“I can fly now! You were right!” Enty said with a smile towards Scarecrow, who was screaming and clinging to Aaron’s leg as the scientists calmly eyed the box.

“Hm. I don’t think that was right…” Aaron said, squinting. He reached in and hit another button and the elevator stopped immediately, causing the four to fall to the floor at the hard stop.

The elevator doors slowly opened and the group fell out onto the floor, with Gabriel and Scarecrow fighting over each other to get farther away from the terrifying machine. Aaron pulled himself to his feet and straightened his glasses only to see a confused group of people in the hotel lobby, seemingly waiting for the elevator.

“I uh…think the elevator may need some repairs…” Aaron said, pointing over his shoulder. Enty immediately jumped to his feet.

“That was awesome! Again!” He yelled, grabbing a distressed Gabriel’s arm, and dragging him with unseen strength back into the elevator. Aaron and Scarecrow watched as Enty hit more buttons as he held tight to a panicking Gabriel’s arm as the novice tried to break away, but to no avail. The elevator doors closed, and Aaron and Scarecrow could hear Enty’s laughing fade away alongside Gabriel’s screams of terror as the machine ascended. Enty had seeming pressed all the buttons, once again sending it into constant motion.

It took a few minutes, but a technician was finally called, and Aaron and Scarecrow stood in the hotel lobby as the elevator doors opened again. Gabriel scampered out as fast as he could, climbing over one of the lobby couches and hiding behind it.

“NEVER AGAIN. DEMON MACHINE. _DEMON MACHINE!!!”_ Gabriel screamed as he peeked out from over the couch and pointed at the elevator which still had a confused Enty standing in it.

“Aww…nothing’s working anymore…” Enty said, repeatedly hitting one of the buttons. Aaron rolled his eyes and dragged Enty out and Scarecrow grabbed the still shaking Gabriel as the novice held out a crucifix towards the elevator. They were about to leave when a security guard stopped them.

“Now boys, you caused a bit of a disturbance and did some damage here, you know…” He said sternly, eying the machine.

“It wasn’t that bad!” Aaron replied. A small explosion was heard behind them and they turned to see smoke coming from the elevator control panel. Aaron turned around with a nervous laugh. “I can fix that.” He said, facing the jaded cop.

The group jumped as they heard a griding and snapping noise behind them. They turned around again to see the elevator shake then vanish downwards into the basement levels. It hit the bottom floor with a loud crash. More smoke began rising from the elevator shaft and into the lobby, causing the fire alarm to blare to life.

Aaron turned back around to face the cop. “Well, uh…I can’t…fix that…” He said nervously. The cop was about to say something when Scarecrow let out an angry yell.

“SCATTER!” Scarecrow screamed, pulling out a small device. He threw it to the ground and the area erupted into black smoke. Scarecrow grabbed Aaron who grabbed the others and the group escaped during the distraction.

The group ran to the parking garage and hopped in the car, with Scarecrow taking the wheel.

“There’s another hotel we’re gonna be blacklisted from…” Aaron said sadly, eying the cops appearing in the garage. Scarecrow let out a crazed laugh and threw his foot down towards the pedals.

The group of cops watched the lookalikes get in their car.

“Say, isn’t that the uh…weird bunch that Jim told us about?” The one cop said leaning over to his partner.

They watched in silence as the car in question started and immediately ran full speed in reverse, crashing into the concrete wall.

“Yep.” The other cop said plainly as the car’s tires skidded and the vehicle took off full speed, crashing through the toll gate and vanishing down the street. They could hear car horns and more crashing in the distance. The cop sighed and pulled out his phone. “I’ll call him…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Bee! Thanks for the help co-writing, and the rest of Cracktasia!


	5. Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron makes a mistake and has to deal with the consequences.

**Prompt 5: Time**

_Featuring: Avantasia protags_

Aaron was in his basement tinkering with an odd clockwork device on his desk. He had been working on it for a few days now without rest. Something was calling to him to finish this, though he couldn’t place what. He just knew he had to create it. He was so preoccupied with his work he didn’t hear Gabriel slide down the stairs and stand by his desk.

“You’re still working on that?!” Gabriel said loudly, breaking the silence and causing Aaron to jump back in fright at the sight of the new person beside him.

“ _Christ,_ Gabriel, don’t do that…” Aaron said, clutching his heart. Gabriel just blinked.

“Aaron I wasn’t that quiet. I think you’ve been awake long enough; the sleep deprivation is starting to make you jumpy; I think…” Gabriel said, eying the tired man before him. Aaron liked to work long hours on his projects, and he could go without fully sleeping for a few days, but this particular project has had him up way longer than he has done before. “Besides, didn’t you remember? Elderane is coming over tomorrow and I don’t want you half dead…” Gabriel said, seeing the noticeable exhaustion in his friend’s eyes.

“I…I need to finish this…” Aaron said, straightening his glasses as he regained his composure. Gabriel eyed the device on the desk. It looked like a clock, but…different. It had way more pieces to it than it should and looked quite out of place.

“Aaron, what even is that?” Gabriel said, leaning closer to eye it. Aaron shrugged tiredly.

“Dunno.”

Gabriel reeled back and stared at him with wide eyes.

“What do you mean you don’t know?!”

“I just…” Aaron started, pondering he events from the past few days. “I got this vision of the schematics and it just…wouldn’t leave my head. I don’t know what it is or why it won’t leave me alone, but I just…couldn’t rest until I finished.”

“Aaron, that is really weird.”

“I’m aware…” Aaron said tiredly as he went back to tinkering with the odd device. Gabriel just sighed. Aaron got into obsessive work swings like this from time to time, but this one was…different. Before he could say anything else to the scientist, Gabriel heard thumping come from upstairs and eventually Enty ran down the basement stairs with Scarecrow in tow.

“Aaron! We need to go to the store!” Enty yelled, basically hopping in place. Aaron just stared at him with tired eyes.

“Why…?”

“I need some gunpowder and some steel piping.” Scarecrow said plainly, eying the messy workbench Aaron was at.

“Do I even want to ask…” Aaron said, hiding his face in his hands.

“I saw a movie where these kids made homemade rockets and I want to make one. Now.” Scarecrow said, picking up a screwdriver and examining it.

“…Why?” Aaron said exasperated, lowering his hands and eying the two.

“Because I want to make a rocket! Geez, is that so hard to understand?”

“What’s a rocket?” Gabriel asked in confusion.

“I’d show yah if Aaron let us go to the store…”

“You are not making a rocket, Crow, my God.” Aaron said, pulling the clockwork device closer as he continued working on it. “Last time you tried one of those homemade experiments you nearly blew up the neighbor’s car.”

“They forgave me!”

“They filed a restraining order.”

“Same thing.”

“Crow, it’s a no. Go find something else to do.” Aaron said, shooing the group away. “All of you go, I’m busy.” Scarecrow let out a huff and walked closer to Aaron’s desk and eyed the device.

“You’ve been busy with that thing for days! What even is it?” Scarecrow said, annoyed.

“It’s…uhh…”

“You don’t even know, do you?!” Scarecrow said, reaching for the odd clock and picking it up.

“Hey! Put that down!” Aaron yelled, but Scarecrow turned away and examined the device in his hands with Enty and Gabriel looking over his shoulder. “Crow! You don’t know what that is!”

“And neither do you! Come _on,_ how dangerous can it-” Scarecrow was cut off as he messed with a few of the switches on the inside of the machine, which caused a high-pitched ringing to blare out as a shockwave of…something came from the device, knocking them all back. Aaron covered his ears and fell backwards behind his desk at the force and sound. The…familiar sound. A sound he hadn’t heard since…

_Aaron stood nervously before the large intimidating machine before him, the group of aristocratic scientists by his side as he stared. He had been asked to join them for…some reason on this cold winter’s night in this mansion. Perhaps it was his local renown that caught their eye. Yes, that must be it. What else could it be?_

_Aaron watched as the nobleman from before and a few of the scientists worked on the machine. The eccentric nobleman had asked Aaron to keep an eye on his pocket watch and keep strict time of the hour, so Aaron held his small gold watch in his hand has he watched the group work on the machine. As they did their demonstration, the machine finally flared to life and a powerful ringing sound erupted, causing Aaron to cover his ears and hunch over from the force of it all._

_After a few excruciating minutes, the sound faded. Aaron looked around and saw the room as it was and the people as they were. Nothing had happened. As he was about to say so, the nobleman asked him to look at his watch. Aaron obliged and nearly dropped it when he saw the face of the clock. The sound from before had been active for at least a few minutes, but the clock in Aaron’s hand showed the same time it did before the machine was turned on. It was as if the past few minutes never existed at all, or at least…Aaron wasn’t aware of them existing._

_The machine had bent time around them._

Aaron opened his eyes and sat up with a gasp as he realized the sound had faded. He looked over and saw his sketches on the floor beside him of his mystery device. It was no longer a mystery.

He had accidentally created a part of the dreaded time altering machine from his world…somehow. How had he gotten the vision? Why had it called to him to be created? Had the machine’s influence somehow caught up with him across dimensions? He would have never created it if he had known what it was, but the clouds of his mind had obstructed his view of the device’s true purpose. He had no idea. He thought it a random epiphany. A moment of creative enlightenment. He had not wanted this. This device should never have existed.

Shaking his head of the ringing from before, he shakily pulled himself to his feet as he leaned against his cabinet. The sound had hit him hard, and he wasn’t even that…close…

“Scarecrow!” Aaron yelled in panic, leaning forward over his desk to get a view of the rest of the basement. He saw he was alone, and his nerves began to spike. “Gabriel? Enty?!” He cried, scanning the room. It was quiet. He looked down and saw the machine on the floor; destroyed, as if Scarecrow had just dropped it and disappeared. Where was he?

Aaron came out from around his desk and eyed one of the clocks on the wall. He had been out for about ten minutes. Why hadn’t the others tried to wake him? He eyed the broken device on the floor and kneeled, prodding the now shattered interface with his hand. Surely the machine wouldn’t have caused his friends to vanish…

Could it…?

Aaron felt fear begin clawing away at his chest as he scanned the room again. There was no trace of his friends. They were just…gone.

Reaching up and gripping his hair as panic overtook him, he began breathing faster as thoughts of what he had done began to enter his mind. What if he erased them from existence? All three of them were right beside the device and they got a full blast of whatever temporal displacement came from it.

Aaron was going off mental visions while creating the thing, surely, he could have built it wrong and caused its purpose to be different than the original. Anything could have happened. Why was he so careless? What has he done? What if he just lost his friends forever? What if…

The sound of a small thud and something falling to the floor snapped Aaron out of his intrusive thoughts. He looked up across the room to see a gear that he had sitting on the end table next to the couch was now on the floor, rolling to a stop halfway between Aaron and the couch.

The scientist’s blood froze as he slowly leaned over, peering around the end table. He nearly fell backwards in fright when he saw something small and dark move behind the couch. Quietly sliding over, Aaron readied himself mentally and looked around the corner, not sure what to expect.

His heart stopped dead in his chest as he found himself staring eye to eye with a small, scared child. A small child that was half on fire with black flames.

Oh no…

“… _ENTY?!”_ Aaron cried in terror, eying this child who could be no older than four. It certainly looked like Enty; it had his fire and was even wearing a small version of his red jacket outfit. The child’s eyes lit up at hearing the name. Aaron’s blood froze. “Oh, God, oh God _, oh God_ …” Aaron said quickly, gripping his hair again. What has he _done…_

“Aaron!” The child yelled happily, bounding over, and tackling Aaron who just remained frozen in place as the realization of what has happened became clear. Aaron just sat there with wide eyes as Enty hugged him tightly. Wait…if Enty was like this, then…the others…

A crash from upstairs snapped Aaron out of his trance. Fear gripping his heart, he quickly stood and grabbed the small laughing Enty and ran up the stairs. He reached the top and his anxiety skyrocketed when he saw another child that looked an awful lot like Scarecrow, makeup and all, on the kitchen counter; knocking glasses off and laughing as they hit the floor and shattered.

“ _Scarecrow?!”_ Aaron yelled, gripping his hair again. The child on the counter paused and looked at Aaron. He laughed again and went back to knocking things off. Aaron grabbed Enty and placed him on the couch then quickly ran over to the kitchen. Carefully stepping over broken glass, Aaron grabbed a resistant Scarecrow and lifted him off the counter.

“No! No!” The child yelled angrily as he tried to break away.

“You…you can’t do that, Crow!” Aaron yelled, tears forming in his eyes as panic suffocated his heart. He placed the squirming Scarecrow on the couch next to Enty who proceeded to jump over and hug the other child, despite Scarecrow’s cries of objections. Aaron let out a shaky breath and wiped his eyes.

Where was Gabriel…

Aaron eyed the area but saw no trace of the last of his roommates. His gaze went to the stairs.

“Stay here!” Aaron said firmly towards the two on the couch. Enty nodded with a laugh as he clung to Scarecrow who could not break from Enty’s strong grasp. Aaron quickly ran up the stairs and straight into Gabriel’s room. His blood ran cold when he saw another small child trying to climb the bookshelf against the far wall.

Aaron ran forward and pulled him down, earning a surprised cry from the long-haired child. Aaron fell back onto the bed as Gabriel squirmed out of his grasp. He just laid there a moment, chaotic thoughts swarming his mind that he couldn’t decipher. Lord, what has he _done…_

“Aawon!” The small Gabriel cried, jumping on to Aaron who sat up in surprise. Gabriel was just looking up at him with pleading eyes. Aaron just stared back.

“Uhh…”

“Book!” The child asked, pointing to the shelf. Aaron eyed it and, with a defeated sigh, grabbed a random old book off the shelf and handed it to the novice. Gabriel let out a happy cry and hugged the book tight, not even opening it. Aaron stood on shaky legs and picked up Gabriel who did not object as he just stared at the book in his hands.

Aaron entered the living room and was relieved to see Enty still holding the squirming Scarecrow on the couch, preventing him from running. He set the preoccupied Gabriel down next to Enty and rounded to the front of the couch and stood before his three friends.

“G-guys?” Aaron asked fearfully. The trio of kids paused and just stared at him blankly. Aaron didn’t know what to do. He hadn’t the foggiest idea. “Are you guys…alright?” Was all he could mutter. Gabriel just ignored him an went back to eying the book in his hands.

“Off!” Scarecrow yelled, shoving the laughing Enty off him. Scarecrow proceeded to shimmy away from Enty who sat in place, laughing. Enty, taking the hint, bounded over to the other side of the couch and tackled Gabriel who let out an annoyed cry at the embrace. Scarecrow just laughed mockingly from the other side.

Aaron stood on legs he couldn’t feel as he took in the sight. His friends were now kids. Fantastic. He eyed the basement door. That cursed machine had to have done this…but…

“DAMNIT!” Aaron screamed with wide eyes, gripping his hair again. The machine was broken on the basement floor. Aaron had no way to turn his friends back until he fixed it…if he could fix it.

“Damnit!” The small Scarecrow yelled in response with a smile, tearing Aaron’s gaze away from the door.

“Crow come on…” Aaron said, edging towards his friend. He had to fix this, he had to fix this!

Scarecrow saw Aaron coming and smiled wickedly, hopping off the couch and making a beeline for the stairs.

“Crow!” Aaron screamed, running after him. He chased him into Scarecrow’s room and blocked the doorway to prevent the child from running anywhere else. Scarecrow just stood by his desk eying the things in his room. Aaron saw him move to grab a bottle of alcohol on the floor. “Crow, _no!”_ Aaron screamed, grabbing the back of Scarecrow’s jacket, and pulling him back. The small child began yelling and struggling again as he tried to break away from Aaron’s grasp. “Crow you can’t have that!”

“Want!”

“No! Not until I fix things…” Aaron said, dragging the fighting child out of the room and closing the door behind him. Scarecrow looked at him annoyed then ran quickly down the stairs and out of sight. Aaron let out a frustrated sigh and ran down in pursuit.

How was he going to have time to fix the machine when he could hardly keep his friends under control?

He reached the bottom of the stairs only to see Gabriel running in circles around the couch at an honestly alarming speed. Enty had resorted to just jumping on the couch and laughing. Scarecrow was…

“Crow, NO!” Aaron yelled as Scarecrow managed to slide their back door open and run into the backyard. Aaron followed and was happy to see the gate was closed and his friend had no way of escaping. Unless he figured out how to climb the fence…

Scarecrow didn’t seem to think of it as he just ran around collecting leaves off the ground. Aaron sighed again. Maybe he should just let them use up their energy…

He turned back inside to see Gabriel still running in circles, but Enty was now gone. Feeling his panic spike, Aaron began searching the house, but to no avail. He looked in every cabinet and behind every door but saw no Enty. He ran back into Enty’s room and scanned it again, but still saw nothing. He was about to turn to look elsewhere when he heard a giggle come from the bed.

He walked over to Enty’s ridiculously large pile of stuffed animals only to find Enty buried in the center, his shadows causing him to blend in with the darkness. Aaron looked around Enty’s room and saw no dangerous objects around.

“Enty, stay here, alright?” Aaron said, leaning towards the pile of plushies on the bed.

A muffled bright “Ok!” and a laugh was all he heard from the pile. Aaron sighed and walked out the door, pulling it closed. At least Enty was rounded up. Aaron walked back downstairs to see Gabriel still running, and Scarecrow was now outside on the back porch, hunched over something on the ground.

Aaron walked over only to see Scarecrow holding one of his magnifying glasses over a pile of dead leaves that was now smoking and about to catch fire.

“Crow, for crying out loud!” Aaron yelled, stomping on the smoking leaves.

“No!” Scarecrow yelled, lightly hitting Aaron’s leg. Aaron was unphased and just reached down and picked up the angry Scarecrow. “No! No!”

“Crow, you’re gonna hurt yourself! You need to stop!” Aaron said firmly, dragging him inside and setting him on the floor as he pulled the glass door closed. Scarecrow just crossed his arms in a huff.

“Mean!” He yelled, eying Aaron.

“No, I’m safe! I won’t have you burning yourself, Crow! Surely you must have _some_ common sense left?” Aaron pleaded.

As he said this, Gabriel broke his pattern and made a beeline for the back door, only to run smack into the clear glass and fall back to the floor with a thud. Scarecrow just laughed as Gabriel sat up and rubbed his head with a whimper, tears forming in his eyes.

“Agh, Gabriel…” Aaron said as he turned to kneel beside his friend. Gabriel just let out a cry and hid his face in his hands. Aaron reached to comfort him, but Gabriel just pushed him away, crying louder. Looking around him, Aaron grabbed Gabriel’s book from the couch and set it by him. Gabriel immediately stopped his crying and picked it up, holding it tight with a smile. “Unbelievable…” Aaron said tiredly as Gabriel hopped back up and began climbing onto the couch.

“Fire!” Scarecrow yelled, hopping up and running to the kitchen. Aaron’s face paled when he realized he hadn’t cleaned the broken glass yet. He ran in and grabbed Scarecrow by his jacket again right as he was about to run over the shards of glass on the floor. Aaron picked him up and carried him to the living room. Scarecrow kept trying to fight his way free.

Taking in his surroundings, Aaron saw something that may hold Scarecrow’s attention. He held Scarecrow under his arm and made his way to their CD player on the floor in the corner. Glad Scarecrow was the last one to use it and his music was in the player, Aaron turned it on and set Scarecrow in front of it.

For a moment, Scarecrow didn’t seem to care, but as the song went on, he listened and turned to face the CD player and just stared quietly as the loud metal music played. Aaron took a step back and sighed a breath of relief. He turned around and saw Gabriel was now out of energy and asleep on the couch, his book tight in his arms.

Aaron went back upstairs and opened Enty’s door to find him asleep in his bed, surrounded by his stuffed animals. He pulled the door closed and walked back downstairs, taking in the momentary break. He utilized this moment to clean the glass off the kitchen floor and hide any overly dangerous objects that were laying around the house.

Once clean, he saw Scarecrow was now curled in a ball and asleep on the floor by the CD player. The house was finally silent.

Aaron sat down tiredly in one of the chairs in the living room as he eyed his friends. The machine had turned them into kids and…the machine was broken. If Aaron wanted any chance of turning them back, he’d need to fix it. But he needed time and peace, two things he wasn’t going to get with the three kids running lose.

Aaron couldn’t handle this on his own. He had no idea what to do, and he couldn’t leave them like this, he just couldn’t. He felt a few tears escape his eyes at the thought of them being stuck this way. He couldn’t lose his friends; they were all he had.

Aaron sighed as he rested his head in his hands, hiding his tears. He could hardly handle the trio as adults, let alone reckless kids. They were going to hurt themselves like this, or worse.

The scientist took in a shaky breath and eyed the coffee maker in the kitchen. He was going to need a lot of it to get him through this.

~

_The next day…_

Elderane walked up to the front door of his friend’s house. He had traveled alone this time using what things Gabriel had given him, that being the ID, money, and a phone. He had insisted he travel alone as he wanted to get used to this world and didn’t want to make Gabriel fly all the way to Rome every time they wanted to see each other. Elderane had flown here himself and used a magical thing Gabriel told him about called an “oober” to help him get to the house from the airport.

He knocked on the door and waited. After a few minutes, he got no response. He knocked again, louder now. Still nothing. He checked the phone he had been given and looked at the time. He was here when he was instructed…

Remembering Gabriel’s emergency orders, he lifted the mat on the floor and found a key there for the house. Perhaps the others were just in the basement or out back and couldn’t hear him. With a shrug, Elderane put the key into the lock and slid the door open, walking inside.

Elderane had to admit…what he saw before him was not even close to what he could have ever expected.

He stood in the doorway and saw a panicked Aaron standing before a couch that was quite on fire. He was holding a fire extinguisher in one hand and he had a small struggling child wearing black under his other arm as he tried to put out the fire. There was another child in white running in small circles and screaming by the kitchen. That one sort of looked like…

The screaming child stopped his running as he saw a new person appear in the doorway. The kid ran as fast as he could towards Elderane and nearly caused the elf to fall as he clung to his leg. Elderane looked down nervously at the thing clinging tightly to him. The kid looked up and met his gaze with a smile.

“Aldooane!” The child said brightly with happy eyes as he clung to the elf. Elderane knew those eyes…

“ _G-Gabriel…?!”_ Elderane muttered in shock at the strange child before him. Before the kid could respond, Elderane heard Aaron yell.

“CLOSE THE DOOR BEFORE THEY ESCAPE!” He screamed, still trying to put out the fire. Elderane looked over in panic as another child came running from around the corner and was headed right for the door. Letting out a fearful cry, Elderane swung around and kicked the door closed with his free leg. The door slammed shut as he lost footing and slid to the ground.

As soon as he propped himself up the closed door, the first child climbed on top of him and leaned against his chest. The second child ran over and slid down by his legs and just stared at him with curiosity. Elderane saw the second child was half covered by black flames.

“Enty…?” Elderane muttered fearfully. The flaming child just giggled as he stood up and ran away back around the corner, leaving Elderane with the first child who was sitting peacefully on his lap, hugging him tightly. Elderane looked at him in terror.

“Elderane, thank _God_ you’re here! I completely forgot you were coming!” Aaron said in relief as he walked towards him. He had finally got the couch fire put out it seemed. Elderane stared with wide eyes at the angry child under Aaron’s arm. He looked like…

“Scarecrow, no more fires!” Aaron said sternly, setting the kid down. Scarecrow just made an annoyed mocking noise towards Aaron and ran off. Aaron kneeled beside Elderane who was still frozen in shock on the floor, pinned by the small child on his lap.

“Aaron…what…what is…”

“I uh…made some miscalculations on a temporal device…” Aaron said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Elderane looked back to the child clinging to him.

“So…so this is…”

“Gabriel, yeah…”

Elderane stared at the child in horror as the little Gabriel clung tighter to him and laughed.

“What…what did you _DO TO HIM?!”_ Elderane screamed, throwing his hands up to his head, tears forming in his eyes. Gabriel smiled and mimicked the motion.

“I can fix it! I just need time!”

“He…he is a child! Aaron, what have you _done?!”_ Elderane cried as he pulled himself to his feet, sliding the small Gabriel off him. Gabriel just clung tightly to his leg.

“I accidentally made a time manipulating device, Scarecrow messed with it, and it turned them into kids!” Aaron said quickly, pulling himself to his feet as well.

“You…are a moron!”

“I know!”

Elderane looked down at his friend who just smiled happily back. He heard a crash come from the other room and Aaron rolled his eyes.

“Christ, Scarecrow, _no!”_ He screamed vanishing around the corner, leaving Elderane and Gabriel. Gabriel looked up at the elf and made a grabbing motion with his hands as he jumped in place, whimpering slightly. Elderane reached down with shaking hands and picked up the small Gabriel and just held him out in front of him.

“Gabriel…? My friend, do you…know me?” Elderane asked fearfully as the child stared blanky at him in his arms. Gabriel gave a small laugh and pointed at him.

“My elf!” he giggled, reaching towards Elderane. Elderane obliged and pulled him closer as the child wrapped an arm around his neck and rested his head on Elderane’s shoulder. Elderane felt more tears form in his eyes.

“He does…” He muttered quietly, clinging to the small child in his arms. After a moment, a tired Aaron appeared back around the corner. He breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the now sleeping Gabriel in Elderane’s arms.

“Oh, thank God, you calmed him down…I thought he’d never stop screaming…” Aaron said, leaning against the wall as he rubbed his eyes. Elderane just placed a hand on his tiny friend’s back and held him tighter.

“Aaron, please tell me you can fix this!”

“I…I can! Maybe…”

“ _Maybe?!_ You cannot tell me they are stuck like this!” Elderane said fearfully, eying his sleeping friend.

“You think I’m not trying?! I haven’t had time to fix the damn machine! They just keep running wild!” Aaron said, stressful tears in his eyes. “But now you’re here…if you could just watch them, I can get right back to fixing the device!”

“Me? I do not know about such things!”

“If you want them back to normal, you’re gonna have to try! I can’t work on the machine and watch them at the same time!” Aaron pleaded. Elderane saw his tired eyes. “Please I…I can’t do this alone and…I don’t want to lose them…” Aaron muttered, turning away. Elderane looked at him with sympathy.

“I do not either, my friend. I shall try my best…” Elderane said, placing his free hand on Aaron’s shoulder. Aaron just looked up at him with a weary smile.

“Thank…thank you, Elderane…” he said, wiping his eyes. Elderane nodded and followed Aaron into the living room where the still smoking couch lay. “He just…won’t stop setting things on fire…” Aaron said, hiding his eyes in his hands. Elderane felt a small laugh escape him.

“So…what do I need to do?”

“Just watch them, keep them from getting into trouble or breaking things…” Aaron said, eying the already destroyed living room. Elderane just nodded. “They should be winding down soon, it’s getting late…” Aaron said as he eyed the setting sun behind the house.

“Shall I try to get the others to sleep?”

“You can _try_. Scarecrow just…won’t listen, Enty keeps laughing at everything and won’t settle down, and…well honestly you have Gabriel all set, so…” Aaron said with a smile at his friend who was passed out in the elf’s arms. Elderane smiled as he held his friend tighter.

“I shall see what I can do.” Elderane said reassuringly. Aaron just nodded and headed towards the basement.

“Scarecrow and Enty are upstairs now…don’t let them in Scarecrow’s room, he has too many sharp objects and alcohol bottles in there…” Aaron said tiredly, vanishing into the basement as he pulled the door closed behind him. “And cleaning supplies are poisonous! Don’t let them near any!” Aaron’s voice yelled through the door. “And don’t let them touch the wall outlets!”

Elderane stood a moment in the silence as Aaron vanished down the stairs. He eyed the sleeping Gabriel. It seems that his friend’s common-sense levels have dropped significantly…

Taking in a breath and pushing his anxieties aside, he made his way up the stairs. He entered Gabriel’s room and pried his friend off him and laid him in the bed. Gabriel whimpered a bit but did not wake up. Elderane took a step back and looked at Gabriel. How strange it was to see his friend like this…he was so small. He seemed to have vague traces of memories, as he recognized him, but he did not seem to be aware of his current situation. Perhaps that was for the best.

Elderane snuck out of the room and entered Enty’s. He saw Enty on the bed, hopping in place while Scarecrow was trying to pry the cover off the wall outlet. Heeding Aaron’s words, Elderane ran forward and pulled the child back. Scarecrow just stared at him annoyed.

“No!” He yelled, stomping his foot down.

“It is late you two, why don’t we get you all in bed and save Aaron some trouble…” Elderane said, picking up Scarecrow who fought back.

“No! No!” Scarecrow yelled angrily, stomping his foot down again.

“No!” Enty mimicked with a smile as he jumped on the bed, spinning in place.

Elderane sighed. How was he to calm them down…

Hm. They were children now… and he recalled the group’s love of music. Yes…maybe that would work. Sitting back on the bed, Elderane took in a breath and closed his eyes.

 _“Fairy lady, who stands on the walls…life is short, and wait is long…”_ Elderane started singing quietly.

As soon as he started, Enty immedetly stopped his bouncing and stared at Elderane. Scarecrow just stood pouting before him. 

“ _The stars, away, dim with the dawn…fairy lady who stands on the walls…”_

Enty, mesmerized by the elf’s voice, sat down on the bed beside him and edged closer, pulling some of his plushies close with him. Scarecrow just stood there in silence, though Elderane could see his anger fading.

“ _Your tale has only begun…it comes from far, the nowhere land…”_

Elderane looked over as a small figure appeared in the doorway. A tired Gabriel stood there, rubbing his eyes. Elderane motioned for him to join and Gabriel happily bounded over and climbed on the bed, curling up beside Elderane as he clung to his arm.

_“The wind is blowing a sound well known…”_

Not wanting to be left out, Scarecrow reluctantly climbed onto the bed, though he hung to the side away from the group.

“ _Fairy lady, your love is long gone….”_

~

It was well past sundown and Aaron had gathered the broken pieces of the machine and had started repairs. He thanked himself for his organization and need to write everything down in great detail, so he had all the schematics. All he had to do was put it back together.

Taking in a breath and noticing the silence, Aaron slid up the stairs to check on the others, hoping Elderane had things under control. He reached the top and heard not a noise. The house was silent. Curious, he went to the top floor and looked into Enty’s room.

He smiled warmly when he saw a passed out Elderane leaning against the wall on Enty’s bed, with Gabriel curled against him on one side, Enty on the other, and Scarecrow hanging to the side, all three kids fast asleep.

Aaron quietly pulled the door closed and went back to the basement, thanking God Gabriel had weird friends.

~

Elderane snapped awake with a jolt. He looked around the dim room and saw he was still in Enty’s bed. He tried to move but realized something was clinging to his arm, holding him down. He looked over and saw a sleeping Gabriel still out cold next to him.

Elderane sighed and gave a small smile as he carefully slid himself free from his friend’s small grasp, but the moment he did so, Gabriel began stirring and whimpering in distress. Elderane reached over and put one of Enty’s plushies in Gabriel’s arms and moved some of his friend’s long hair out of his face as he slept.

“Hey, it is alright my friend…” Elderane whispered quietly, stroking the child’s hair. This seemed to calm Gabriel down ever so slightly as he clung tighter to the plushie in his arms, still whimpering. Sighing, Elderane leaned forward and placed a small kiss on his friend’s forehead as he slept, the child calming down almost immediately and going back to sleeping quietly. Elderane smiled at the small Gabriel and began backing away out the door.

Sliding quietly out of the room, he made his way downstairs where he heard Aaron yelling.

“No, Crow, just…you can’t have that!”

Elderane walked in to see Aaron holding a mug of coffee above his head while Scarecrow was under him, bouncing as he tried to reach for the glass in Aaron’s hands. Aaron looked to Elderane with pleading eyes.

“Come on, Scarecrow, that’s his…” Elderane said calmly, picking up the angry Scarecrow.

“Mine!” The child yelled as Elderane sat him down at the table where Scarecrow crossed his arms and pouted as he sat next to a smiling Enty.

“Thank you…” Aaron said tiredly, taking a sip from the mug. Elderane looked at the table and saw Scarecrow now messing with the food on his plate in front of him while Enty was just laughing like crazy as he watched Scarecrow.

“Sorry I did not see them wake up…” Elderane said, realizing he should have been watching them.

“No, it’s fine. You had a long flight; I knew you were tired.” Aaron said quietly.

“You’re the one who seems to be tired, my friend. When was the last time you slept?”

“Dunno.”

“Aaron…”

“I’ve been working on that stupid machine!” Aaron said, throwing his mug down on the counter with a hard clank. “I didn’t know what I was making! I had no idea _this_ would happen…” He said, eying his two friends who were now fighting over an empty water bottle on the table. Elderane sighed.

“I am sorry for being so harsh yesterday…” Elderane said, recalling his anger at Aaron for causing this.

“No, I deserved it. I was acting stupid and careless, and now…” He paused to take a breath. “Now this happened and it’s all my fault…” he trailed off as he watched Scarecrow hit Enty’s head repeatedly with the water bottle, Enty laughing the entire time.

“We will fix this, I’m sure.” Elderane said, placing a reassuring hand on Aaron’s arm. The man looked back up at him with tired eyes. “You are clever, I know you will be able to reverse this.”

“I hope…I worked all night, it’s getting closer. I just need…a few more hours…” he said dazed as he looked at his watch.

“I will watch them until you are ready.” Elderane said. Aaron gave a small smile.

“Thank you…Elderane. I am so sorry for dragging you into this.”

“I am glad you did. Lord knows what would have happened if you were on your own.”

“You’re right, I…don’t want to think about it.” Aaron said, edging towards the basement door. “There’s some food there for Gabriel...” Aaron said quietly, closing the door behind him. Elderane shook his head. That man needed some sleep.

“Ok, can you two behave while I go get Gabriel? Please?” Elderane said calmly. Enty nodded happily and Scarecrow just kept pouting, annoyed by life it seemed. Elderane backed away from the table and quickly slid upstairs. Gabriel was still asleep in the bed when Elderane shook him.

“Gabriel? My child, it is morning…” He said quietly. Gabriel let out a small yawn then sat up, his eyes adjusting to the dim light. His face lit up when he saw Elderane there.

“Dwane!” Gabriel said with a smile as he slid forward and clung to Elderane, wrapping his arms around the elf’s shoulders. Elderane pulled back and lifted Gabriel up, holding him in his arms.

“I must say, it is reassuring you have not forgotten me…” Elderane said with a smile as he met the small Gabriel’s gaze. Gabriel just laughed.

“Fwend!” He said, holding Elderane tighter. Elderane just laughed a moment but paused when the small Gabriel leaned closer and gave him a small kiss on the cheek before turning around and clinging to his shoulders, seemingly eager to go downstairs. Elderane just froze a moment, his mind flustered, but quickly shook his head and started going downstairs.

He heard yelling and when he rounded the corner, he saw Scarecrow had somehow gotten hold of a lighter and was laughing maniacally with it in his hands. His panic rising, Elderane set Gabriel down at the table by Enty who greeted him warmly. He ran after Scarecrow, but Scarecrow saw him coming and took off.

“Crow! You come back here now!” Elderane yelled but Scarecrow vanished into the dining room. Seeing their friend run, Gabriel and Enty hopped off their own chairs and took off after him. Elderane lowered his head in defeat and ran after them, cursing humans and their fast children.

~

Aaron was at his desk, the corners of his vision beginning to distort as he stared intensely at the clock-like device in his hands. He was so close. Aaron checked his blueprints again and saw the device was so nearly done.

But then a thought occurred to him that made him freeze.

Someone would have to flip the switches in order to set things right. What were the odds Scarecrow would do it again? Would Aaron have to do it? Or Elderane? Aaron paused as the risks began appearing.

He was messing with things he had no control over. Would he have to risk losing himself to set things right?

Aaron didn’t know. But…he did know he couldn’t let his friends down. He shook his head and went back to work. They were worth any risk.

~

Elderane had gotten the lighter away from Scarecrow, but Gabriel and Enty were still running like mad around the house. Elderane didn’t know where his friends untapped energy came from, but he wished he could have some of it. Gabriel was just…abnormally fast. Elderane tried talking with him to catch him, but he just kept running in circles with Enty cheering him on.

“Gabriel, my friend, please, you must settle down!” Elderane pleaded, but Gabriel just kept going, Enty trailing behind and chasing him. Edlerane lowered his head and let out a tired sigh. The elf just stared ahead jaded next to Scarecrow, who had the same expression. “Oh, you’re above _this_ then, aren’t you?” Elderane asked the child tiredly.

“I wan fire, elf man.” Scarecrow said plainly, his stern gaze locked with Elderane’s. Elderane just turned away.

“You really annoy me sometimes, you know that?” Elderane asked Scarecrow.

“Fire!” Scarecrow yelled, slamming his fists down on the now burnt couch. Elderane just shook his head and let out a frustrated sigh. He watched as Enty and Gabriel ran. Maybe they’ll just crash and that’ll be that. He just stared tiredly at his small friends, not noticing Scarecrow slink away.

~

Aaron was at his desk, trying his best to remain awake as he worked. He had to be aware. He couldn’t risk messing things up more than he already has. He was tightening a screw when he heard a small cough beside him.

Aaron jumped back in fright when he saw the tiny Scarecrow staring at him blankly. Aaron shook his head and turned away.

“Go back to Elderane, Crow…” Aaron muttered, hoping the kid took the hint. He did not and Aaron threw his head down on the desk as Scarecrow began walking around the basement, examining every little thing. Aaron took in a tired breath and stood.

“Fire!” Scarecrow yelled as he grabbed the gear that was on the floor and examined it. Aaron stood by him and kneeled beside his small friend.

“No, Crow… _please_ , just…go back upstairs…” Aaron said firmly.

Scarecrow just paused and stared at the exhausted Aaron.

“Mad…?” Scarecrow said quietly, pointing to Aaron who just sighed and slid down to the floor, leaning against the couch.

“No Crow, not mad…not at you…” He said, hiding his head in his hands. He didn’t know how much more of this he could take. This was his fault and now Elderane was dragged into this. Aaron didn’t know what he was going to do if he let his friends get hurt because of him. Aaron took in a sharp breath and shuddered slightly as he felt more tears form in his eyes. What has he done…?

Aaron was pulled out of his self-loathing as he felt something small sit beside him. He looked over with blurry vision and he saw Scarecrow sitting close to him against the couch, not meeting his gaze. For a few moments, the two just sat side by side in silence.

“Crow, what…” Aaron started, but was cut off as Scarecrow quickly hugged Aaron’s arm. The scientist sat flustered for a moment as Scarecrow hugged him before the child pulled away. Aaron just stared speechless as Scarecrow stood.

“Aawon sleep!” Scarecrow yelled forcibly, pointing at Aaron. Before Aaron could respond, Scarecrow turned and vanished up the stairs. Aaron just sat on the floor, not comprehending what just happened.

He shook his head and, leaning against the couch, pulled himself to his feet as he wiped his eyes. He had to fix this…

~

Elderane was standing in the middle of the living room as Enty and Gabriel ran. He looked over and saw Scarecrow slide in and walk over to his CD player where he sat and listened to his music. Elderane sighed with relief when he realized one of the kids was calmed down. Now for the others…

Elderane walked into the kitchen and began skimming through the drawers when he found what he was looking for. Setting some paper and pencils on the table, he leaned out and grabbed Enty as he passed. Enty squirmed a moment in his grasp as Elderane carried him but calmed immedetly when he was placed in front of the paper. Elderane smiled when he saw Enty immediately begin drawing as he hummed to himself.

Happy with his work, Elderane walked out to see Gabriel still running. As soon as Gabriel turned the corner, Gabriel saw the elf standing there and ran up to him and jumped.

“Adwane! Adwane! Can I hev piggyback wide?!” Gabriel said enthusiastically as he jumped, trying to cling to Elderane and climb his leg. Elderane paused a moment as his mind reeled; his gaze locked on his tiny friend before him.

“Y-yes, my child, very well…” The flustered Elderane managed to get out as he picked up the small Gabriel and put him on his shoulders. He let the child sit there as he walked around, and Gabriel was laughing brightly the entire time. Elderane smiled at his small friend’s laughter.

Noticing his friend laughing, Scarecrow sauntered over to the elf and clung to his leg, sitting on his foot.

“C-Crow, I cannot walk with you there!” Elderane said as he felt the weight holding him down. Scarecrow just giggled and clung tighter. Sighing in defeat, Elderane tried to shuffle away with the kids clinging to him, but Enty ran up to him.

“I dwew you!” Enty yelled as he hopped in place. He handed Elderane a…really bad drawing but Elderane could tell it was supposed to be him. He felt tears form in his eyes as he smiled at the small Enty.

“Thank you…Enty…” He said flustered, tucking the art into his pocket. Enty just giggled and ran back to the kitchen and started drawing again. “Crow, can you please let go?” Elderane said in frustration as he tried to move but couldn’t.

“No! Go!” Scarecrow yelled with a laugh as he clung to Elderane’s leg. Elderane sighed. Scarecrow was doing this on purpose, he knew it. Taking in a breath he began carefully shuffling forward, trying not to let the imbalance cause him to trip. Gabriel was just laughing away as he clung to his head, and while Scarecrow wasn’t laughing, Elderane could see him smiling. At least he was enjoying this. After a few minutes of struggling around the house, Elderane heard the basement door open. A tired Aaron slid out; pausing and stifling a laugh when he saw Elderane.

“Shut up!” Elderane yelled as Aaron laughed.

“They like you!”

“I am…aware.” Elderane said as he tried to shake Scarecrow off his leg but couldn’t. Aaron was about to say something else when a tiny Enty ran in and pulled on Aaron’s pant leg, getting his attention.

“Us!” Enty said happily as he handed a drawing to Aaron. Aaron picked it up and felt his heart skip as he examined it.

It was a bad drawing, but it was clearly of himself, Gabriel, Scarecrow, Enty, and Elderane. He looked down to Enty as he fought to hold back tears. Enty was just smiling brightly and hopping in place.

“Famiwy!” Enty said with a warm smile as his shadows flickered calmly. He reached up and clung to Aaron’s arm, pulling himself up as he swung in place while laughing. Aaron just held the drawing firmly in his hands.

“Th-thank you…” Aaron said through a tight voice. He couldn’t let his friends down.

“He’s uh…quite the artist.”

“He is…really not much better on a normal day…” Aaron said, tucking the drawing into his jacket.

“How is the device coming?”

“I am nearly done, I think…I just…I need more coffee…” Aaron said, walking towards the kitchen.

“I wan coffee!” Scarecrow yelled, releasing Elderane and running up to Aaron.

“No, Crow! Not for you!”

“I wan!”

“No!”

Elderane laughed as he watched Aaron push the angry Scarecrow away with his foot as he tried to make coffee. Enty had gone back to humming to himself and drawing; oblivious to his surroundings.

“Down!” Gabriel yelled, reaching over Elderane’s shoulder. Elderane obliged and lowered his friend to the floor. Gabriel ran upstairs out of sight.

“Oh dear…” Elderane said, but before he could even make a move to chase him, Gabriel returned and ran past him into the kitchen. Gabriel paused before the fighting Scarecrow.

“Jeebus!” Gabriel yelled, throwing one of his crosses at Scarecrow who turned around, now fuming.

“No!” Scarecrow said angrily, making a move towards Gabriel. Distressed, Gabriel threw another cross at Scarecrow.

“Evil!” Gabriel yelled, but Scarecrow then booked into a sprint and chased the novice around the house, with Gabriel still throwing crosses over his shoulder.

“Uhh…” Elderane said as the two ran. Aaron didn’t blink and just sipped his coffee.

“They do that anyway, don’t worry.” Aaron said quietly. He took in a tired breath and made his way back to the basement, closing the door behind him. Elderane just stood speechless in the kitchen next to the happy Enty as he heard Scarecrow’s and Gabriel’s screams from the other room.

~

Aaron sat as his desk in the dim lamplight; the machine close to being completed. It had been a few hours and he could still hear his friends screams from through the floor. He felt bad for subjecting Elderane to this, but he needed to get things fixed as soon as possible.

He leaned back and removed his glasses as he rubbed his eyes, the exhaustion still creeping in the corners of his vision. He couldn’t give up now.

Pausing, he reached into his jacket and pulled out the drawing of the five of them that Enty made. He smiled and leaned it against the toolbox on his desk, propping it upright so he could see it. He had to succeed. He couldn’t let his family down.

~

Elderane stood in the center of the living room as all three children were now running in circles around him, screaming and laughing. Aaron would be done soon, and Elderane needed to get the kids settled down.

Recalling last night’s success, he made his way to the couch and sat down. The three kids noticed and made their way to in front of the couch where they continued their playing. Scarecrow had Gabriel pinned on the floor, but Enty had Scarecrow’s leg in a tight hold, causing him to ease up on Gabriel as he turned his attention towards Enty.

Gabriel took the advantage of the moment and kicked Scarecrow off him, running to Elderane, climbing up the couch and into his lap where he once again clung to his shoulders.

“Hide me!” Gabriel cried as he buried his face in Elderane’s shirt. Scarecrow had managed to stand, though Enty still clung to his leg, laughing. Scarecrow had fury in his eyes as he marched towards the couch, dragging Enty behind him.

Elderane reached forward and grabbed the furious Scarecrow, picking him up and setting him on the couch beside him.

“No!” Scarecrow yelled, making a move towards Gabriel. “Mean!”

“Hey, cut that out…” Elderane said softly, pushing Scarecrow back. Scarecrow saw Gabriel glance at him before he hid his face again with a whimper. Scarecrow just huffed and crossed his arms, leaning back against the couch. Enty climbed up the sofa with a laugh and scooted closer to Elderane, leaning against his arm. Elderane smiled when he saw they were cooperating. Holding Gabriel in his arms against his chest and the other two on either side of him, Elderane took in a breath.

 _“Little lady, your tale has an end…for your love to the skies was sent…”_ He sang softly. He felt Gabriel relax in his grasp and Enty stared at him with wide eyes and a bright smile as he clung tighter to his arm.

“ _He’s turned into sparks that shine with the stars…”_

Elderane saw Scarecrow give a defeated sigh and lean against his arm, not meeting his gaze.

_“And by night he will always be there…for his lady to stare, and thus he's never died…”_

Elderane paused in silence as he noticed all three kids were now quiet and leaning against him. Even Scarecrow had his eyes closed as he leaned with his back against Elderane. Enty was curled in a ball by his side, and Gabriel was out cold in his arms.

Relaxing, Elderane leaned his head back and breathed as he took in the calm serenity of the moment.

~

Aaron tightened one last screw then threw his hands down. The machine was done. He turned it over in his hands and eyed the place where Scarecrow had initially messed with it. Maybe he’d do it again…

Hopping from his desk, he ran up the stairs, device in hand. He couldn’t help but smile when he saw Elderane once again surrounded by the trio.

“Is that it?” Elderane asked, stuck under the kids pinning him down on the couch. Aaron nodded.

“Yes, but…” He started but trailed off.

“But…?”

“Someone has to flip these switches here…” Aaron said, motioning towards the front of the device. “If they don’t cooperate…one of us will have to do it.”

“Well…” The elf started, “…we cannot stop now.” Elderane said as the three kids stirred, leaning up, though Gabriel still clung tightly to Elderane.

“Would Crow mess with it the same way again?” Aaron said. Elderane just shrugged. Aaron walked over to Scarecrow, but when he tried to hand him the clock, Scarecrow just pushed it away with a huff.

“I wan fire!”

“Oh, this isn’t good.” Aaron said, eying the angry Scarecrow.

“What about them?” Elderane asked, motioning towards Gabriel and Enty. Aaron watched as Enty picked up a glass from the coffee table and immediately dropped it while Gabriel laughed.

“Yeah, no…” Aaron muttered. He couldn’t risk them breaking it again.

“Well…someone has to activate the device.” Elderane said, eying the thing in Aaron’s hands.

“Yes, but they’d be caught in the crossfire! Lord knows what’ll happen…” Aaron said sadly. He may have to take one for the team…

“Let me do it, Aaron.” Elderane said, reaching his hand out for the device. Aaron just stared at him in shock.

“No! You could end up like them!” Aaron yelled, eying his three roommates who were now pestering each other on the couch. Enty had climbed over Elderane and had gone back to clinging to an annoyed Scarecrow while Gabriel began climbing up Elderane’s shoulders. “This is my fault, let me do it.”

“I believe I can handle it.” Elderane urged. Aaron was about to say something, but Elderane gave him a stern look. “I _promise_ , I can handle it. I want my friends back to normal.” He said, his gaze turning to Gabriel who was laughing behind him. “They are worth the risk.”

Aaron just paused as he heard the familiar thought. He looked at the device in his hands. Someone had to be at the controls, or it wouldn’t work. He sighed and handed the machine to Elderane.

“I messed with it as much as I could without changing too much. The odds of it doing more damage to them is slim, but it could still affect you.”

“They will return to normal?”

“I believe so. But Elderane, it could still mess with you…”

“I am aware of the risk. Now, I believe you should take cover then…” Elderane said, eying the switches on the front. Aaron sighed, seeing he was defeated.

“Just flip those a bit and hold on, I think it was the three on the left Scarecrow changed.” Aaron said as he backed away into the kitchen. Elderane nodded as he stood up and kneeled before the couch. The trio looked at him with curiosity.

“You three were a lot of trouble, you know that?” Elderane said, positioning his hand over the switches. He watched as Gabriel gave a laugh.

“My elf!” He said with a smile, reaching outwards. Elderane smiled back.

“And you are all worth it…”

Elderane began flipping the switches on the front and after a moment, he could hear a loud ringing sound emit from the device.

~

Aaron hunched over behind the bar in the kitchen, hoping it was enough to protect him. He had his ears covered as he heard the ringing. After a few minutes, it faded, and Aaron lowered his hands. He looked at himself. He was normal.

Taking in a nervous breath, Aaron put his hand on the bar and pulled himself to his feet, terrified at what he may find on the other side. He felt cool relief wash over him when he saw Elderane standing in the living room in front of a normal Gabriel, Enty, and Scarecrow, the trio looking around confused.

“Wait…weren’t we just in the basem-HEY!” Scarecrow yelled as Aaron shot over and pulled the trio into a hug, holding all three tightly. “What the hell Aaron!” Scarecrow yelled, trying to break away, but he couldn’t.

“Aaron, did something happen?” Enty asked, returning the hug happily, though confused as to why he was getting one like this in the first place.

“Aaron, I’m telling you, the lack of sleep is making you…” Gabriel trailed off as he saw Elderane standing happily before him, tears in his eyes. “Elderane? You weren’t due here till tomorr-oh!” Gabriel yelled as Elderane now ran forward, joining in the group hug and holding Gabriel tight.

“Can someone _please_ tell me what’s going on?” Scarecrow said annoyed, stuck in the middle of his friend’s embrace.

“Crow, oh my God, you’re all ok…” Aaron said as tears streamed down his face. Scarecrow just rolled his eyes.

“Yeah? Why wouldn’t we be? Geez, we can handle ourselves you know…”

“I am very confused…” Gabriel said as Aaron and Elderane finally allowed them to break apart.

“So am I. Elderane, how the hell are you alright?!” Aarons said, eying the elf. Elderane looked the same. “Did the machine not affect you like it did them?” Elderane gave a small laugh.

“No, it did, I’m sure. It gave them their years back, but it did take the same amount away from me, as it did to them the first time.”

“Then how the hell are you ok?!” Aaron asked, dumbfounded. Elderane just shrugged.

“What was a large chunk of time to them was nothing to me, really. I honestly appreciate the given time back.” He said with a smile. Aaron just stared at him.

“How…old _are_ you?”

Elderane was about to answer when Scarecrow let out a frustrated yell.

“You all burned the couch! I wanted to do that…” he said, kicking the furniture in annoyance. Enty just laughed.

“Aww, you can burn the next one!” He said, placing a reassuring hand on Scarecrow’s shoulder. Scarecrow just huffed.

“I better…” Scarecrow said walking away. “Geez, I feel tired. Aaron, you better not have drunk all the coffee!” He said, vanishing into the kitchen. Enty followed happily behind him.

“Oh! Drawing stuff! Yay!” Enty yelled as he saw the papers on the table. Aaron just pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes as he let out a long breath.

It was good to have them back.

“I really am confused though, weren’t you supposed to come tomorrow?” Gabriel asked Elderane, who shuffled awkwardly on his feet.

“I uh…did?”

“What?”

“Gabe just…don’t worry about it.” Aaron said, patting his friend’s shoulder. It was probably best they don’t know what happened. Scarecrow walked back into the room, coffee mug in hand. He took a sip and eyed Aaron.

“Geez, you look worse than before…” Scarecrow said, noticing Aaron’s now _very_ tired and…tearstained eyes. Huh. What had happened?

“Yeah, just…tired.” Aaron said becoming aware of the exhaustion as his senses began to fail him.

“Go get some damn sleep, man. Geez…” Scarecrow said, pushing Aaron slightly towards the stairs. Aaron just laughed and began walking, giving one last look to his alright friends behind him. Elderane gave him a reassuring nod. Aaron smiled and vanished up the stairs and into his room.

“He’s gonna sleep for like a week, my God…” Scarecrow said, recalling how long his friend had been working on that weird device.

“You have no idea…” Elderane said quietly. Scarecrow gave the elf a look but shrugged it off as he drank his coffee.

“Geez, it feels like I haven’t had this stuff in forever…” He said, turning away towards the kitchen. He sat across from Enty who was still drawing happily.

“So, uhh…you gonna explain what happened? I swear we were just in the basement…” Gabriel said, eying the door. Elderane just reached forward and pulled his friend into another hug.

“It is good to have you back, my friend…” Elderane whispered, holding his friend tighter. Gabriel returned the embrace, though he was still confused.

“I…did I go somewhere?”

“No, just…well…don’t worry about it. All is well now.” Elderane said as he stood, tears in his eyes. Gabriel just shrugged and let Elderane hug him. After a moment, they pulled apart when Scarecrow yelled from the kitchen.

“Aww, come on! Where’s the lighter?” Scarecrow yelled, opening a few cabinets. “And why are there so many glasses missing?”

Elderane just laughed as Gabriel walked into the kitchen to help his friend. He smiled when he saw the trio start going at it again, with Enty running to an annoyed Scarecrow to hug him to calm him down.

“This isn’t helping Enty!” Scarecrow yelled as he tried to shake the man off him. Enty just laughed.

“I think it is!”

“Hey, my crosses!” Gabriel said, picking his wooden crucifixes off the floor. “How’d these get here…”

“Probably ghosts…” Scarecrow said, annoyed.

“Now you know I made sure there’s no ghosts in this house!”

“I don’t know, maybe _I’m_ the ghost!” Scarecrow said with a creepy smile. His smile faded when Gabriel threw one of the crosses right at his face.

“Hm. No, I don’t think so!” Gabriel said with a laugh. Scarecrow stared daggers at the novice and tried to make a move to get him, but Enty was still clinging to him.

“Enty! Get off!” Scarecrow yelled, trying to free himself but to no avail. Enty just laughed.

“Do you feel better? Is it working?”

“NO, IT’S NOT W-”

Gabriel threw another cross towards Scarecrow, nailing him in the head again.

“Don’t yell at Enty!” Gabriel yelled, arming himself with more crucifixes. Scarecrow let out an angry scream and lunged for Gabriel, dragging Enty with him.

Elderane just stood tiredly in the living room watching the scene. Aaron had been right. The elf let out a tired sigh and hopped onto the couch, tuning out the screams from the other room. He just…needed to rest…for just a few minutes.

He smiled as the yelling continued. It was good to have them back.

~

_The next morning…_

Aaron shuffled tiredly down the stairs. It was early, but his sleep schedule had messed him up, so he was awake. He looked over to the living room and saw Elderane passed out on the couch. He would really have to make this up to him somehow.

He walked over and saw the time device sitting on the coffee table. He picked it up and carried it to the basement, closing the door behind him.

Setting it on his desk, he began dismantling the machine. He couldn’t go through that again. He had to get rid of it for good. As he worked, he saw Enty’s drawing by his toolbox of the five of them.

They were all…walking disasters. Aaron knew this without a doubt. But they had each other through it all and…no matter what, they were a family. A chaotic family, but…still a family.

He smiled as he continued taking the machine apart, his gaze locked on the drawing as he worked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Void!  
> A few things:  
> -I wrote this on 0 sleep all nighter brain.  
> -This takes place post unreleased fic of the group meeting Elderane IRL for the first time (will post that eventually)  
> -I regret nothing, I will apologize for nothing, and I would die for this concept, crack or not.  
> THANKS FOR READING.


	6. Time - Alternate Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Not canon to the main story  
> An alternate ending where a different choice was made.

“This was my fault. Let me do it.”

“Aaron, I do not think…”

“Elderane.” Aaron said sternly, holding the device closer to himself. Elderane just stared at the determined man before him, his gaze unbreaking as he held the clock. Aaron was not going to back down. Elderane let out a defeated sigh and backed up as Aaron nodded.

“Get behind the bar, alright?” Aaron said as he kneeled before the couch where his three young friends sat and stared at him with curiosity. Elderane nodded slowly and backed into the kitchen. This was a bad idea. “If something happens, my notes for the device are downstairs. But do _not_ put yourself at risk!” Aaron yelled; his gaze locked with the elf. Elderane nodded sadly and ducked behind the median dividing the kitchen and living room. This was a _really_ bad idea.

Aaron saw that Elderane was out of sight and he looked back to his three friends.

“The things I do for you lunatics…” He muttered as his friends stared at him. Scarecrow just huffed in annoyance and pointed at him.

“Aawon _sleeb!”_ he yelled as he gazed at his tired friend. Aaron couldn’t help but smile. Scarecrow could always tell when he was tired. He took in a breath and began messing with the device as Scarecrow had, praying to God if something happened, he wouldn’t be too much trouble for Elderane. After a moment, the familiar ringing returned.

~

Elderane covered his ears as he hid behind the bar. The deafening ringing sound pounded away for a few minutes it seemed, but finally it faded. He opened his eyes and looked over himself. He was normal. Taking in a nervous breath, he stood and slowly looked over the bar.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a normal Gabriel, Enty, and Scarecrow all standing in front of the couch, looking around in confusion. But he didn’t see…

“What the _FUCK?!?!”_ Scarecrow screamed, jumping backwards as he hopped onto the couch in fright. Elderane fearfully ran over and stood beside a stunned Gabriel. Before them was Aaron, though Elderane knew he was now the same age the others had just been. The child looked up at him confused.

“ _A-Aaron?!”_ Gabriel cried in horror, seeing his small friend stand before him. It looked like Aaron for sure. It had a small version of his outfit, though his glasses seemed to be missing.

“He’s cute!” Enty laughed, kneeling beside him. Aaron just smiled and laughed alongside Enty.

Elderane’s blood ran cold as he realized the implications of what has happened. He eyed the device that lay on the ground. It didn’t look broken. He could fix this.

“WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO HIM?!” Scarecrow yelled in terror from his perch on the couch. Aaron saw him and laughed. The child ran over to him, but Scarecrow let out a scream and fell backwards off the couch and hit the floor hard. Gabriel watched in frozen horror as Aaron circled the furniture and climbed onto a dazed Scarecrow’s chest. Scarecrow looked up to see Aaron smugly sitting on him.

“FUCK THIS!” He screamed, propping himself up and scurrying away. Aaron just slid off him and laughed. Gabriel’s attention turned to the elf standing beside him.

“Elderane…he…you…child… _WHAT?!”_ Gabriel screamed in fear, backing up as Aaron met his gaze.

“I can fix this! I think…”

“Why is he small?” Enty said brightly as Aaron chased a screaming Scarecrow.

“The device! Don’t worry, I know what to do!” Elderane said, scooping up the machine. He saw the switches Aaron had messed with. He could fix this.

 _“FIX HIM NOW!”_ Scarecrow yelled fearfully as Aaron cornered him. Scarecrow couldn’t run as Aaron clung to his leg, laughing smugly. “NO NO NO NO NONONO!” Scarecrow screamed in panic as he ran again, Aaron chasing him.

“I…I’m trying…” Elderane said as he eyed the complex device. He couldn’t mess this up…

Gabriel was frozen in blinding terror as he watched the tiny Aaron run. The small scientist paused his antics and stood before Gabriel with a smile.

“Hi!”

Elderane jumped as he heard Gabriel fall back to the floor out cold.

“Ah _, Gabe!”_ He yelled, seeing his friend now passed out on the ground. Aaron saw this and shuffled over to Gabriel, climbing on his chest.

“Gabby?” Aaron said quietly, poking his friend. When he didn’t respond Aaron looked up at Elderane with worry in his eyes. “Fix!” Aaron commanded, pointing to Gabriel.

“He…he is just afraid! He will be fine…” Elderane said, kneeling by the duo. Aaron looked back to Gabriel and climbed off him, worry still in his eyes. “Scarecrow, I need to fix this, can you take Gabriel out of here?” Elderane asked Scarecrow, who was standing white as a sheet in the corner.

“I’m not going near that thing!” He yelled. Aaron just looked at him smugly.

“I’ll play with him!” Enty said, running towards Aaron. “Let’s go draw!” he said, picking the child up. As soon as they were out of his way, Scarecrow ran over and grabbed Gabriel from under his arms.

“You better fix this and then have a _damn_ good explanation for what the hell is happening, pointy…” Scarecrow said as he dragged the passed-out Gabriel away towards the dining room. Elderane sighed and went back to eying the machine. He spent a few minutes eying it and figuring out which switches Aaron had hit. When he thought he got it, he walked towards the kitchen. He saw Enty and Aaron drawing, though while Enty was drawing some bad scenery, Aaron seemed to be drawing complex looking tech schematics in rich detail.

“Uhh…”

“He’s really good!” Enty said proudly, eying Aaron’s work.

“Time!” Aaron said with a smile as he held up his drawing. Elderane just stared at him blankly then shook his head.

“Enty, I need you to leave the room, alright? I am going to fix him…”

“Awww ok. But I’m keeping his drawing!” Enty said as he grabbed the paper and slid out of the room. Elderane sighed and set the device on the table as Aaron met his gaze.

“Well, you have scarred them for life now…good job.” Elderane said as Aaron smiled at him. Elderane smiled back then flipped the switches, the ringing returning.

~

Scarecrow and Enty were covering their ears for a bit but released them once the odd sound faded. The duo walked towards the kitchen and looked in. Elderane as standing there next to a normal Aaron who was looking around in confusion.

“Uhh…did it wor-gah!” Aaron yelled as Enty hugged him.

“Yay he’s back!”

“I see it did…” Aaron said with a smile as he saw his normal friends. Or…friend. Enty was just hugging him but Scarecrow was standing fearfully in the doorway.

“That was _NOT_ ok!” He yelled, walking in. “What the _hell_ was that?!” Aaron just looked at him.

“Uhh…”

“I will explain later, Crow, but for now, I think Aaron could do with some rest?” Elderane asked, giving Aaron the side eye. Aaron smiled and nodded tiredly.

“Yes…I could use some…wait, where’s Gabriel?” He asked fearfully, noticing his third roommate was missing.

“Passed out on the dining room floor. He’ll come to in a bit, though I do believe you are in for some exorcism rituals from him when he wakes up.” Elderane said slyly. Aaron let out a long breath.

“Great. Love those…”

“Go get some damn sleep, Aaron. Now.” Scarecrow commanded, his voice still wavering. Aaron smiled and nodded then shuffled out of the room and up the stairs. Scarecrow met Elderane’s gaze.

“Well?!” He asked, confused. Elderane eyed the device. They had to know…

“Aaron accidentally created a time manipulating device and when you messed with it you three got turned into kids, but Aaron was able to fix it but he got turned into a kid in the process but I fixed that and now everything is _fine.”_ He said, running out of breath.

Scarecrow stared at him in frozen shock.

“W-we were…like _that?_ ” Scarecrow said in horror, his gaze turning towards the stairs. Elderane nodded.

“For about two days.”

“Cool!” Enty yelled with a smile.

“Not cool! What…what the _hell?”_ Scarecrow yelled, still not fully believing it.

“I beg you, do not tell Gabriel. Lord knows he will never recover from the thought…” Elderane said, pondering how easily Gabriel freaks out over such things. Scarecrow paused then nodded in agreement. He liked to mess with Gabriel but this…this was too much. Enty nodded as well in understanding.

“So…everything is fine now?” Scarecrow said as his heartrate eased. Elderane nodded once more.

“Yes. I do believe Aaron will dismantle the machine once he is rested enough.” Elderane said as he eyed the device.

“He…he better!” Scarecrow said nervously as he backed away from the thing sitting on the table. “Damn, I need some alcohol right now…” he muttered as he shuffled out the doorway and out of sight.

Elderane sighed and rested his head on the table. He was exhausted.

“Enty, can you go get Gabe a blanket or something…?” Elderane muttered as he faced the floor.

“Yep! Sure can!” Enty said as he bounded off.

Elderane took in a deep breath and released it slowly when the world became silent. He was going to sleep for a week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pure crack. Bab Aaron. Love it.


	7. Language

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron messes with things he shouldn't and causes a confusing issue.

**Prompt 6: Language**

_Featuring: Avantasia protags_

“Aaron, that looks complex.”

“It is Enty.”

“What is it?”

“I’m trying to make a universal verbal translator.”

“Why?”

“Just cause.”

“Aren’t those pieces from that weird clock thing you made a bit ago?”

“…yeah.”

“Why are you-”

“The pieces already are uh…spatially unstable…and it can make this process easier. I removed the uh…previous inaccuracies so they won’t be any trouble.”

“Were they trouble befo-”

“Don’t worry about it!”

Aaron was at his desk, a new device in front of him. He was fiddling with some modern technology and mixing it with old tech. He had an idea for a translator, and he was close to finishing it. Enty was leaning against the cabinets behind him watching him work.

“Alright…I’m gonna try and test it…”

“Cool!”

Aaron held the device in his hands and messed with a few buttons and wires. After a moment, the device let out a distorted ringing sound for a second. Aaron dropped it onto his desk when it heated up in his hands and sent a shockwave out, causing the duo to shield their eyes from the force. It only lasted a second before all was still. Aaron and Enty looked to the device on the desk as smoke came out of it.

“Well, that didn’t work right…” Aaron said as he poked it then reeled his hand back at the hot touch.

“Aww I’m sure you’ll get it right!”

“Maybe. This may be a bit too complex…”

“You can do it; I know for sure!”

“Heh, thanks Enty. Alright, why don’t you go upstairs while I review my schematics here, I need some silence while I’m focusing…”

“Sure thing!”

Aaron watched Enty bound off up the stairs. He looked back to the device and eyed it as it smoked. Maybe he shouldn’t be using parts from the time machine…

Aaron shrugged and pulled out his notes. It was a translator; he had removed all the time-altering focus pieces of it and just left the power source. What damage could it do?

~

Enty walked up the stairs and looked over into the kitchen where he saw Gabriel sitting at the table reading. Not wanting to disturb him, he snuck back up to his room, passing Scarecrow on the way.

“What was that weird noise?”

“Aaron made a thing that exploded.”

“I shoulda known…” Scarecrow muttered as he reached the bottom of the stairs. He walked through the living room and into the kitchen, intent to make coffee. He saw Gabriel sitting there reading.

“Mornin’ Gabe…” Scarecrow said tiredly as he reached for a mug in the cabinet. Gabriel looked up at him confused.

“Was?”

Scarecrow just eyed him.

“What did you say?” He asked as he set the mug on the counter. Gabriel just tilted his head as he stared.

“Was sagst du?”

“Gabe, I know you like sounding smart, but I have no idea what that means.”

“Wann hast du eine andere Sprache gelernt?” Gabriel asked, his eyes wide in curiosity. Scarecrow just blinked.

“Gabe, for the love of God, speak normally please, I don’t know German.”

“Ich weiß nicht was du sagst ...” He responded as he shook his head. Scarecrow let out a frustrated sigh.

“Gabe, come _on,_ it is too early for this!”

“Stimmt etwas mit dir nicht?”

“Gabriel!”

“Vogelscheuche!”

“Alright, that’s it…” Scarecrow said as he walked over to Gabriel. The novice stood and stared at him confused. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Legst du dich mit mir an?”

“GABREIL, I SWEAR!”

“WARUM SCHREIST DU?!”

“I AM GOING TO LOSE IT, GABE!”

“SIE MÜSSEN NICHT SCHREIEN!”

“THAT’S IT!” Scarecrow screamed as he lunged for Gabriel who reeled back. Enty appeared from around the corner just in time to grab Scarecrow’s jacket and hold him back as Gabriel backed away.

“Enty, Gott sei Dank, was zur Hölle ist los?”

“Uhh…” Enty said as he held back a fuming Scarecrow.

“He won’t stop talking like that!” Scarecrow screamed.

“Gabriel? Is something wrong?” Enty asked, earning a fearful look from Gabriel.

“Oh, nicht du auch!” He yelled, throwing his arms down in annoyance. “Dafür ist es zu früh! Wann hast du überhaupt eine neue Sprache gelernt?” he said, pointing to Enty. Enty just stared at him confused.

“Gabriel, I don’t understand…”

“I UNDERSTAND. HE’S DOING IT TO PISS ME OFF!” Scarecrow yelled as he marched forward, dragging Enty behind him. Gabriel looked ahead in fear and made a beeline out of the kitchen. Scarecrow took off after him, causing Enty to let go and stumble behind. He stood as he watched Scarecrow chase Gabriel who was still shouting nonsense in…

…in a different language.

Oh boy…

“Aaron!” Enty yelled as he ran down the basement stairs. Aaron looked up from his desk when he saw Enty run down in a panic.

“Enty? What’s the matter?”

“I THINK YOUR MACHINE BROKE GABRIEL!” He cried grabbing Aaron’s arm and dragging him up the stairs.

“What? What ever do you mean?” Aaron said as they reached the top of the stairs. He saw a furious Scarecrow on one side of the couch and a confused Gabriel on the other, both yelling at each other.

“SPEAK NORMALLY, OR I SWEAR TO GOD-”

“Was stimmt nicht mit dir?”

“I am _going_ to kill you, Gabe!”

“Geht es darum, dass ich bei "wir’’ gewinne? Du hast gesagt, versuch zu gewinnen und ich habe es getan! Du musstest dich nicht aufregen!”

Aaron just stared blankly ahead at the scene.

“Oh…yeah, this is my fault…” Aaron muttered. Scarecrow turned to look at him.

“Aaron! Tell the idiot to cut it out!”

“Aaron! Er wird diesen Unsinn nicht aufhalten!”

“Oh dear…”

“See?” Enty muttered. Aaron just stared at his two roommates who were glaring at him.

“…I can fix this.”

“OH! Herr, nicht du auch! Warum müssen Sie mich alle dem unterwerfen?” Gabriel screamed in frustration, turning around.

“Aaron? What do you mean? Did you break him?” Scarecrow said, pointing towards Gabriel who was ranting to himself. Aaron looked between the two nervously.

“I uhh…I am not sure if I broke him or us…”

“What do you mean?”

“I was working on a translator an-”

“YOU DID! YOU BROKE HIM!” Scarecrow yelled. “You and your inventions…how did this even happen?” He said. Gabriel noticed Scarecrow yelling at Aaron and tried to tune in.

“I uhh…can’t say. BUT I CAN FIX IT!”

“You better! What the hell did it even do?”

“Uh…from what I can tell, it reverted him back to whatever language he spoke in his world…”

“Which is German…”

“Right.”

“But when he came here, it seemed to translate itself!”

“Y-yeah, uh…”

“YOU UNDID THAT?!” Scarecrow yelled louder, causing Gabriel to jump. “That was like…a universal thing! He didn’t have to learn to speak English because it just…translated for him!”

“So, he…can’t understand us?” Enty said softly as he edged towards the confused Gabriel.

“NO! Because he never learned it! We were just able to understand each other!” Scarecrow screamed, pacing in a circle. “Now he can’t understand us, and we can’t understand him!” he yelled. Gabriel eyed him. Scarecrow looked upset.

“Krähe? Ich bin nicht böse ... Es tut mir leid, dass ich dich nicht verstehe ... bin ich es?” Gabriel said quietly, walking towards Scarecrow. Aaron felt guilt stab his heart. Oh, this was bad…

“Look, I have done this…before…I can fix it! I just need time, alright?” Aaron said, edging towards the basement. “Just entertain each other for a few minutes! I’ll be back!” He yelled, closing the door. The trio just stared at the door blankly.

“Hat er das getan? Hat er euch alle gebrochen?” Gabriel said annoyed, pointing to the door. Scarecrow understood that movement and nodded, earning an understanding look from Gabriel.

“I’m gonna kill that man…” Scarecrow said quietly, shaking his head.

“Was jetzt?” Gabriel said. Enty just stared at him.

“Well, alright…he broke the time capsule. Great.” Scarecrow said as he walked over to the couch and sat down. Enty sat beside him and Gabriel went beside Enty.

“Maybe we can try something else…” Enty said, thinking.

“Like what?”

“Ich bin immer noch verwirrt.”

Scarecrow turned and looked at Gabriel who met his gaze.

“Come on, Gabe. Speak slowly and _think._ You can do it!” he said, urging Gabriel. “You’ve technically been speaking it for years now…”

“Soll ich ein Übersetzungsbuch kaufen?” Gabriel said, pointing upstairs. Scarecrow just leaned back with a huff.

“When Aaron comes back, I’m slapping him.”

“Wait, I may know something we can do…” Enty said, turning to face Gabriel who stared back in confusion.

“Scis?” Enty said unsurely as he searched the back of his mind.

“The hell did you say?” Scarecrow asked. He froze when he saw Gabriel’s eyes light up.

“Hoc opus?” Gabriel said excitedly. Scarecrow just stared dumbfounded.

“Uhh ... salve?” Enty replied. Gabriel shook his head.

“Intelligere?”

“Uhh…auxilium…?”

“OK WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!” Scarecrow screamed, causing the duo to jump.

“Gabriel speaks Latin…”

“How the hell do you know Latin?” Scarecrow yelled. Enty just shrugged, earning a sigh from Scarecrow. Of course, he didn’t know. “Well? What is he saying?”

“Uhhh…”

“Intellexistis haec?”

“I think he says…he understands…maybe…” Enty said, confused.

“You speak it, how can you not know?”

“I read it way better!”

“Gah, this is hopeless.” Scarecrow said as he crossed his arms. Gabriel looked at him sympathetically.

“Krähe? Aaron wird das beheben!” Gabriel said with a smile as he put his hand on Scarecrow’s knee. The man just looked at him blankly.

“Well…Aaron better fix this is all I’m saying.” He said, turning away in a huff. The duo was about to try something else when they heard thumping coming up the stairs. Aaron kicked the basement door open in a panic.

_“Christ,_ Aaron, the hell?”

“I was supposed to pick up Elderane from the airport…” He said quickly with wide eyes. Scarecrow smiled wide and started laughing. “What is so funny?”

“YOU BROKE GABRIEL! HE’S GONNA KILL YOU!” Scarecrow said through tears as he hunched over in laughter. Aaron felt fear jab at his heart as he saw Gabriel stare at them confused.

Elderane was indeed going to kill him.

“I’ll go with you to the airport! If we just explain…” Enty said over Scarecrow’s wheezing.

“S-sure, oh, oh dear…” Aaron muttered as he ran for his keys. Elderane was not someone you wanted to be on the wrong terms with… “Crow, stay here, we’ll be back!” Aaron yelled as he ran for the garage; Enty in tow. They slammed the door, and the house was silent.

“Aaron hat Elderane vergessen, nicht wahr?” Gabriel said flatly as he stared at the door. Scarecrow just shook his head. He lived with a bunch of lunatics. “Krähe, ich bin nicht sicher, was passiert, aber Aaron wird es reparieren!” Gabriel said reassuringly with a smile. Scarecrow just stared at him.

“I think we have established this is getting us nowhere.” Scarecrow said, annoyance in his voice. Gabriel took the hint and nodded, turning away. Scarecrow sighed, then threw his hand to his forehead with a cry.

“Was? Was ist es?”

“God, we are idiots…” Scarecrow said as he ran into the kitchen and grabbed some paper and a pencil. Gabriel couldn’t speak English, but he could read and write it. Scarecrow taught him how himself. He threw the papers on the table. Gabriel laughed when he saw them.

“Ah! Ja!” he laughed, grabbing a pencil. Scarecrow smiled at his friend’s understanding.

“Ok, let’s clear some things up…” Scarecrow said as he took his own paper. The duo spent some time going back and forth.

‘ _Blame Aaron, he did something weird.’_

_‘I figured. There was no way all three of you learned a new language to spite me.’_

_‘God no. You realize you are speaking German, right?’_

_‘I sound the same to me. It is you who sound different.’_

_‘We’re speaking English. Same as always.’_

_‘Fascinating.’_

_‘Sorry for yelling. I thought you were messing with me.’_

_‘I thought you were messing with me!’_

_‘Will Elderane understand you?’_

_‘I cannot say. We understood each other fine, but that may have also been Avantasia. It could have translated us.’_

_‘Guess we’ll find out.’_

_‘I hope he understands. I do not want him mad at Aaron.’_

_‘I’m mad at Aaron.’_

_‘He will fix this.’_

_‘He better. As much as you annoy me, I would miss talking with you.’_

Gabriel looked up to Scarecrow with a warm smile. Scarecrow met his gaze for a moment before grabbing the paper and crumpling it up, tossing it over his shoulder. He grabbed a new one and pulled it close.

‘ _YOU READ NONE OF THAT.’_

_‘Whatever you say.’_

Gabriel smiled again as he eyed a flustered Scarecrow. Scarecrow shook his head and pulled the paper back.

‘ _Look, just…go back to your reading. We’ll deal with this more when they get back.’_

_‘Thank you, Crow.’_

Gabriel smiled again and stood up, walking back to the kitchen table. As he walked, he quickly reached down and grabbed the crumpled paper Scarecrow threw, hiding it in his sleeve. He went back to his reading as Scarecrow finished making his coffee.

~

“You all are impossible…” Elderane said flatly as he followed Aaron and Enty into the house. “How do you do these things?”

“I didn’t mean to!” Aaron cried, closing the door behind him. “It was a malfunction!”

Elderane leaned close to him out of Enty’s earshot.

“The last time was a malfunction as well, Blackwell…” He said coldly, causing Aaron’s nerves to rise. Elderane backed away and began walking towards the living room. Aaron let out a held breath and followed.

He entered and saw Scarecrow and Gabriel at the kitchen table. Gabriel put his book down and smiled when Elderane walked in.

“Elderane! Du bist hier! Bitte sag mir, dass du Aaron nicht getötet hast ...” Gabriel said with a smile as he eyed Aaron who was standing back nervously. Elderane just stared at Gabriel.

“Right.” He said flatly, facing Aaron who took a step back. “You have thirty seconds to run…” Elderane said as he reached to where his dagger was. Gabriel saw the motion and jumped up to grab his friend’s arm.

“Nein! Es war ein Unfall! Er kann es reparieren!” He yelled, pushing Elderane’s arm down as Aaron took a few more steps back.

“Gabriel, he needs to learn not to mess with the laws of the universe!” Elderane yelled as he tried to pull his arm away, but Gabriel held tight.

“Ich weiß nicht, was du sagst, aber ich kenne diesen Blick! Tu ihm nicht weh!” Gabriel cried. Elderane saw the pleading look in his eyes and let out a sigh, backing down.

“Fix this, Aaron. Now!” Elderane cried, eying Gabriel. “I can’t understand him, and he can’t understand me! I refuse to leave it that way!” He yelled, tears threatening to leave his eyes.

“I-I’m going! I’m going!” Aaron yelled nervously, sliding into the basement. Scarecrow snickered as he watched.

“Ahhh conflict.” He said as he took a sip from his coffee. Enty and Elderane just turned and faced Gabriel who stared blankly at him.

“But you two could understand each other in his world…” Enty said, confused.

“Avanatsia is a world at the center of everybody’s mind…I believe there is a universal translation process that occurs…”

“And you live there and…can’t speak all languages?”

“I may be a spiritual being, but I am not magic. I still must learn the ways of the world.”

“Ah…”

“Was möchten Sie tun?” Gabriel asked.

“G-Gabe, I do not understand you…” Elderane said sadly, earning a sorrowful look from Gabriel.

“Ich verstehe nicht, was du sagst, mein Freund…”

“This is distressing…” Elderane muttered. “Aaron better fix this, or I will make him regret ever becoming a scientist…” he said coldly.

“Alles wird gut! Mach dir keine Sorgen! Ich habe Vertrauen in Aaron, um dies umzukehren!”

“Gabriel, _please!_ I don’t know what you are saying!” Elderane cried as he fought to hold back tears. If Aaron has messed things up again and is unable to reverse it…

Elderane froze as Gabriel pulled him into a hug.

“Sie sind verärgert, aber bitte ... alles wird gut!” He said quietly, trying to ease his friend’s anxieties. Elderane just took in a shaky breath and returned his friend’s embrace. Aaron was smart…he was a moron, but he was smart…he could fix this.

Eventually Gabriel pulled away and Elderane wiped his eyes, pushing his fear down. Aaron could fix this. Gabriel just stared at him with a smile.

“Du verstehst nicht, aber ich möchte sagen, dass du mich glücklich machst ...”

“Gabriel, I really don’t understand…” Elderane said quietly back. Gabriel just smirked when he saw the confusion on his friend’s face.

“Ich bin komplett mit dir...”

“He KNOWS we don’t understand him, right?” Elderane asked Scarecrow who just shrugged in the kitchen.

“The weirdo just can’t shut up.”

“Ich möchte in deine Augen schauen, als wären sie die Sterne oben.” Gabriel said with a small smile towards Elderane.

“…HUH?” He yelled, still visibly confused. Gabriel just laughed wholeheartedly.

“Ah, es fühlte sich gut an, das von meiner Brust zu bekommen. Ich hoffe, es Ihnen eines Tages klar zu sagen.”

Elderane just turned and looked pleadingly towards Scarecrow who just shrugged again. Gabriel laughed once more then walked into the kitchen and sat back down at his chair. He motioned for Elderane to join. Enty bounded over as well, so the four were at the table together.

“So…” Elderane said as he sat in the awkward silence. “…how was he able to understand you all before?” He asked. Scarecrow just eyed Gabriel who looked back blankly.

“Couldn’t say. Some universal dimensional mumbo-jumbo. I didn’t question it, but then Aaron had to go and play God...”

_“Again_ …” Elderane whispered.

“What?”

“Nothing, nothing.”

The trio sat for a bit with Gabriel reading before they heard a yell from the basement.

“I’m trying it again!” Aaron’s voice carried through the floor.

“Should we…” Elderane was cut off as a distorted ringing cut through the air for a moment, causing the group to cover their ears. The sound quickly faded, and the group looked around. The trio eyed Gabriel who looked around them nervously.

“That was an annoying sou-” Gabriel started, but was cut off as Elderane pulled him into a hug.

“Ah, my friend, you are back!”

“Again, I…didn’t go anywhere.”

“Yay! He’s talking right!” Enty yelled, reaching over Elderane and hugging Gabriel.

“Technically, I was never talking _wrong_ , per say, I just…”

“Please tell me it worked...!” Aaron yelled as he ran into the kitchen.

“I think it did!” Gabriel said with a laugh. Aaron released a held breath and sauntered over to the table, pulling a chair out.

“I am so sorry about that…”

“It’s alright!”

“Yes, it is alright now. But Aaron, please, do not mess with things you cannot control.” Elderane said sternly, earning a nervous nod from Aaron.

“I-I will be more careful…”

“Good! Now, shall we go out for breakfast?” Elderane said brightly with a smile. The table agreed, and as they got up to go, Gabriel headed for the stairs.

“I will be right there! Let me put my book away…” He said, sliding quickly up to his room. He reached it and pulled the door closed as he removed the crumpled paper from his sleeve. He tore a section of it out and set it inside his old leatherbound journal. He eyed the words on the paper.

_‘As much as you annoy me, I would miss talking with you’_

Smirking that he got it on record, he closed the journal and slid back out his door and down the stairs, meeting his friends. They could use a relaxing day after this morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Post Time)  
> Explanation: When Gabe entered reality, some Unknown Thing (like the tardis) caused him to be able to understand English (he hears it as German) and Aaron messed with it and undid it. Crow taught Gabe to read English, but because he never actually Heard it, he can ONLY read it, not speak it. This is my confusing 1am explanation.  
> ~  
> Translations:  
> "What?"  
> "What are you saying?"  
> "When did you learn another language?"  
> "I don't know what you're saying..."  
> "Is something wrong with you?"  
> "Scarecrow!"  
> "Are you messing with me?"  
> "WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING?!"  
> "YOU DON'T HAVE TO SHOUT!"  
> "Enty, thank god what the hell is going on?"  
> "Oh, not you too!"  
> "It's too early for this! When did you even learn a new language?"  
> "What's wrong with you?"  
> "Is it about me winning "we’’? You said try to win and I did it! You didn't have to be upset!"  
> “Aaron! He won't stop this nonsense!  
> "OH! Lord, not you too! Why must you all submit me to this?"  
> "Crow? I'm not angry...I'm sorry I don't understand you...is it me?"  
> “Did he do that? Did he break you all?"  
> "What now?"  
> "I'm still confused"  
> “Should I buy a translation book?"  
> "You know?"  
> "This work?"  
> "Hello?"  
> "Understand?"  
> "Help?"  
> "Do you understand that?"  
> "Crow? Aaron will fix this!"  
> "Aaron forgot Elderane, didn't he?"  
> "Crow, I'm not sure what happened, but Aaron will fix it!"  
> "What? What is it?"  
> "Ah! Yes!"  
> "Elderane! You are here! Please tell me you didn't kill Aaron..."  
> "No! It was an accident! He can fix it! "  
> “I don't know what you're saying, but I know that look! Don't hurt him!"  
> "What should we do now?"  
> "I don't understand what you are saying, my friend..."  
> "Everything will be fine! Do not worry! I have faith in Aaron to turn this around!"  
> "You're upset, but please...everything will be fine!"  
> "You don't understand, but I want to say that you make me happy..."  
> "I'm complete with you..."  
> "I want to look into your eyes like they're the stars above."  
> “Ah, it felt good to get this off my chest. I hope to make it clear to you one day."


	8. Birthday Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The protags celebrate a birthday together. Things...go well.

**Prompt 7: Birthday**

_Featuring: Avantasia protags_

Scarecrow sauntered tiredly down the stairs, running his hand through his messy hair as he reached the living room. He turned and saw the other three all at the kitchen table, eating breakfast. Aaron was sketching some tech schematic on a piece of paper, Gabriel was reading, and Enty was just humming to himself as he ate.

“Mornin’, Crow.” Aaron said brightly, not glancing up from his work as he scribbled.

“Hi guys…” Scarecrow muttered as he reached for a mug. He needed coffee.

“You look tired, Crow.” Gabriel said, glancing up from his book. Scarecrow turned around and stared at him, his eyes somewhat glazed.

“Now what makes you think that?” He grumbled, earning a laugh from Gabriel and Enty.

“Crow, I know exhaustion, and you’re exhausted. What on earth were you doing up?” Aaron said, setting his pen down. Scarecrow just shrugged.

“Music, I guess. Had some inspiration, didn’t want to lose it.” He said, turning back to his coffee. Aaron just snickered.

“And you get at me for overworking…” He laughed as he went back to writing. Scarecrow just turned around dumbfounded.

“I don’t work myself to the point of lunacy!” He yelled, a lightness in his voice.

“He’s right, Aaron. Literally last week you sleepwalked to West Virginia.” Gabriel said as he read his book, humor in his voice.

“Har, har, har, very funny.” Aaron said sarcastically. “Look, I’m the one who gets to be sleep deprived around here and keep the rest of you in line. Now, what song were you even writing, Crow?” Aaron said. Scarecrow just shook his head as he took a sip from his mug.

“Don’t wanna say, it’s not done yet.” He said, taking a seat in the open chair. Aaron just shrugged.

“Well, alright, but don’t you keep this up.”

“Says you.”

“Yes, says me!”

“Oh, like you’re the boss of me huh?”

“I am!”

“Who made you boss then?”

“I did, because you lot act like children constantly and need discipline to keep yourselves from killing each other!”

“We are not children!” Scarecrow yelled, slamming his mug down. Aaron just laughed.

“Crow, you know you are. You can’t deny it after all the stunts you pull.”

“Oh, come on! You’re no older than me!”

“I am so!”

“How old even are you then?”

“33.” Aaron said, pondering the thought, “…probably.”

“Probably? The hell does that mean?” Scarecrow responded, now curious. He saw Gabriel and Enty look at Aaron as well. Aaron just rubbed the back of his neck as he looked down. “Well, when I was a child, as I grew up, records of my past were…lost, and I just had to…guess my age after a certain point.” Aaron said with a shrug. Scarecrow just blinked as he stared at his friend.

“You don’t know your real age? Do you even know your birthday?”

“Afraid not.” Aaron said flatly, going back to his scribblings.

“I don’t know mine either…” Enty muttered, causing the others to look his way.

“You…don’t know anything about your past, though.” Gabriel said, earning a small laugh from Enty.

“Heh, nope.” He said, going back to his breakfast. Scarecrow just eyed Gabriel.

“Gabe do…you know yours?” He asked, almost fearfully. Gabriel didn’t even look up from his book.

“It was not a celebrated concept in my time, so I have no record of my written birth date. We do use something similar for our saint’s day, but that is not this modern ‘birth-day’ thing.” He said as he read. Scarecrow just stared at him. Aaron noticed the odd look in Scarecrow’s eyes.

“Crow…do _you_ know yours?” He asked quietly. Scarecrow of all people should know his. Scarecrow just leaned back in his chair with wide eyes as he ran his hand through his hair again.

“N-no. No, I don’t.”

“What? Why on earth do _you_ not?!” Aaron said, bewildered. Scarecrow looked to the side as he held his breath.

“Just…didn’t care about it growing up, I guess...” He said softly as memories he’d rather stay repressed began to surface. “I don’t know mine at all.”

“So…none of us know our birthdate?” Aaron asked quietly. The others all shook their heads. “Huh…”

“Well…why don’t we pick a date then?” Enty said happily. The others glared at him.

“Like…one date? For…for all of us?” Scarecrow asked unsurely. Enty nodded enthusiastically.

“We all look the same, maybe we all had the same birthday anyway.”

“He has a point.” Gabriel said, setting his book down.

“So, you want to just…pick a random date for our birthday and we just…celebrate that together?” Aaron said, a small smile on his face. It was a cute idea…

“Yeah! We can do…birthday things but do them together!” Enty laughed.

“It would save us the confusion of remembering four different dates…” Scarecrow said, the idea becoming more appealing to him as he pondered it. His…own family in childhood didn’t care enough to even mention his birthday, and here he was with four misfits who want to pick a date with him and have him celebrate it with them. He gave a small laugh.

He…he loved these idiots.

“Well…what date should we choose then? Anything specific?” Aaron said with a smile. He liked this idea…a long-lost childhood concept he never got to experience.

“Maybe just a random one…” Enty said excitedly. He loved the idea. A day to celebrate them being a family. It couldn’t get better than that.

“Yeah, but which…” Aaron said, leaning back.

“Why not just today?” Gabriel said, eying the date on the calendar behind him.

“There’s nothing special about today, though…” Scarecrow said. Gabriel just shrugged.

“Isn’t that the point? To make it special?” He said, earning a smile from Enty. Gabriel didn’t really celebrate this holiday, but if his family did, then…he could make an exception.

“I suppose it is…” Aaron said as he laughed. “Crow?” He said, eying the man in black beside them. Scarecrow just thought a minute then sighed, shaking his head with a smile.

“Sure, sure, you idiots. Today works.” He said lightly. Aaron just stood with a smile and grabbed a marker, circling the date on the calendar.

“Right. November 21st, then. It’s official…” He said, stepping back. Scarecrow just gave a small laugh as Aaron sat back down. He…had a birthday. He had a family…that cared about him…

What a concept…

“So, what do we do now?” Enty said brightly, practically hopping in place. Scarecrow just rolled his eyes.

“Well, most people celebrate with some special dinner, cake or whatever, maybe give gifts, and…whatever else that’s fun that they wanna do.”

“Well…since it’s already nearly noon, I’d say finding something for a gift exchange would be fairly hard with this little planning…” Aaron said brightly.

“We can do stuff from around the house.” Gabriel said.

“That…would be creative.” Aaron replied, thinking about what they could do. “Any examples?”

“Well…Crow said special dinner, and…I could cook something.”

“Yes! I love when you cook!” Enty said brightly, causing Gabriel to turn away.

“Ah, thanks…” He said, his mind flustered.

“I could go buy some special deserts and things from the store for us to share…” Aaron said, knowing he had the most money of the lot of them.

“Oh! I can walk to the DVD store down the road and get a movie!” Enty said happily.

“Nothing stupid!” Scarecrow urged, taking a sip from his mug.

“Nothing…scary, please.” Gabriel added quietly. Enty just nodded enthusiastically.

“I’ll find something we all will like!” He said with a smile. Scarecrow just laughed. Guess…they were all really doing this.

“What about you, Crow? Anything you wanna do?” Aaron asked. Scarecrow just shrugged.

“I’ll…figure something out…”

“That’s fine! And you don’t have to, this was all very last minute.”

“Some help in the kitchen would be perfect, Crow!” Gabriel said with a smile. Scarecrow sighed and smiled, taking another drink.

“Sure, sure, whatever.” He said, leaning back.

“Then it’s settled. Dinner and movie night.” Aaron said, pushing his chair back. The others nodded in agreement. Scarecrow just eyed his friends as they went back to their business. He was…really lucky. He was _really_ lucky to have these lunatics with him. He may not say it much, but…they _are_ his family. He may not always feel like he fits in, but…they’ve accepted him anyway. And he wouldn’t trade any of that for the world.

~

_Later…_

Scarecrow was pacing in his room, eyeing the open notebook on his bed. The others all had something small they were doing for later, and…he had nothing. Nothing but…

Scarecrow sighed and picked up the notepad, eying the messy sketches of the song he had written on the worn pages. An idea he had after his past began coming to mind and mixing with his current living situation. Ideas, personal thoughts. He was up all night working on it. It wasn’t done, but…maybe it was enough. But…could he bring himself to show it…

Scarecrow didn’t know. Tossing the notebook back on the bed, he sighed and walked towards his door, pulling it closed as he walked into the hall and down the stairs.

Aaron had left for the store, as had Enty, leaving Gabriel and Scarecrow alone. Gabriel was in the kitchen by the stove when Scarecrow sauntered in. He smiled when Scarecrow edged closer.

“Ah! Crow! Would you like to help?” Gabriel said as he fiddled with a pot of water by the stove. The others all agreed on spaghetti for dinner, and Gabriel knew how to cook that quite well. Scarecrow just sighed as he leaned against the counter.

“I don’t know, I’m…not much of a cook…besides, Aaron didn’t want me using the stove after the _flour_ incident…” He said with a small laugh. Gabriel just rolled his eyes.

“Yes, it was a mess to get off the ceiling, but I assure you, this is much safer. If you want, you can work on cutting the bread for me. You _are_ good with knives, no?” He said, glancing slyly at Scarecrow who just laughed.

“I suppose I am.” He said as he went to the table where Gabriel had some bread laid out. He got to work as he listened to Gabriel work behind him.

“Crow?” Gabriel asked, breaking the silence.

“Yeah?”

“You seemed…nervous earlier. Is everything alright?” Gabriel asked, turning slightly as he worked. Scarecrow turned away and avoided his gaze.

“I…I’m fine, Gabe. Nothing to worry about.”

“You know I can tell when you’re upset, Crow…” Gabriel said softly, earning a laugh from Scarecrow.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Look, It’s just…” He paused, not sure what to say. “…I just was thrown off by this…sudden concept, I suppose. Nothing else.”

“You take surprises well, though.”

“Sometimes…”

“Crow…” Gabriel said, setting the box of pasta in his hands down as he eyed Scarecrow. Scarecrow just kept facing away, though he let out a defeated sigh after Gabriel started approaching.

“I just was nervous about the idea, alright?” He snapped, turning to face Gabriel who just looked at him calmly. “I didn’t have any of this growing up, and…I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do, or…how to feel…” He said, fighting back tears. He hadn’t had anyone who cared about him. Not one person. Not until he met Gabriel. He just…didn’t know what was right. He didn’t want to mess this up.

“It’s not anything to get so worked up over, Crow…not with us, you know.” Gabriel said calmly, pulling out the chair next to Scarecrow. “This was a last-minute thing, yes, but it’s just for fun. It’s just…it’s just to celebrate what we have going on, I suppose. Each other!” He said lightly, patting Scarecrow’s back. The man gave a small laugh.

“Well, yes, it is…nice living here, isn’t it.”

“Much better than a cold cave in the park.” Gabriel said with a wink. Scarecrow just eyed him as their past came to the surface.

Gabriel would have probably died of exposure in the woods if he hadn’t run into him, and without Gabriel…Scarecrow may have ended up in the same life-destroying rut he was in before. Without Aaron, they wouldn’t have a home or a roof over their heads, and Aaron would be sleep deprived in some gutter somewhere. Enty would…well, he wouldn’t have made it anywhere without them at first. Early on, he could hardly see in daylight, and he had no idea what this world was, or _who_ he was. And without Enty…they wouldn’t have any grounding optimistic force to keep them going. To hold them all together. They really did need each other, and…Scarecrow was grateful for that.

“You’re…you’re right, Gabe, you’re right…” Scarecrow said in happy defeat, earning a smile from Gabriel.

“You don’t have to be so nervous around us, you know. We all trust each other; you don’t need to be afraid of judgement. Not in the way you’re thinking, at least.” Gabriel said with a laugh. “We like you for _you,_ Crow. You don’t need to be afraid of us.” He said gently, his voice reassuring. Scarecrow just sighed and looked at him.

“Again…you’re right. Sorry, Gabe, just…things came to light today and, I…I didn’t…”

“It’s alright, Crow. We’re here for you through anything, alright?” Gabriel said, earning a nod from Scarecrow. Gabriel nodded back. “Right. You keep working on the bread, it needs butter, and ah, the garlic is in the pantry, top shelf.” Gabriel said, going back to the stove.

Scarecrow smiled as he worked, his mind focused on Gabriel’s soft humming behind him.

~

“So, how did you pick up modern cooking so fast?” Aaron asked as he sat beside the others at the table as they ate dinner. Gabriel just shrugged.

“I was good at it in my world, and…it’s the same concept here, just with this…modern technology and such. I was already familiar with it, so it came easier.”

“Well I’m glad it did.” Scarecrow said with a laugh. Gabriel really was the best cook of the four of them. Aaron fell next, then Enty if he had instructions. Scarecrow knew he _could_ cook, but he opted for the easy-cook meals instead. Cooking was just…a lot of work.

“So…what movie did you pick, Enty?” Gabriel asked. Enty smiled and reached to his bag below his chair.

“This one! It looked cool.” He said, holding the case up.

“Ah! I do like this movie…” Aaron said with a smile.

“Star…Wars…?” Gabriel said, confused by the…odd title and cover.

“Honestly, Gabe, I think you’d like it.” Scarecrow said with a shrug as he ate. Gabriel just squinted and eyed the case.

“I have…no idea what’s going on in the picture…” He said brightly.

“It’s a fun movie Gabe, it’s sci-fi.”

“Sci-fi?”

“Science fiction, yah nut.” Scarecrow said with a laugh. “It takes modern ideas and…makes them cooler and, I don’t know…explores concepts that aren’t scientifically possible.” He said, pausing. “…unless you’re Aaron.”

“Hey! What I do is real science!”

“Science that doesn’t technically exist in this world, dude. You are the _only_ one capable of this…dimensional time junk. It’s sci-fi to these people.”

“Ah yes, I suppose you’re right…” Aaron said with a laugh. He…did make some odd things, didn’t he…

“Just trust me Gabe, once you get past the weird tech of the movie, you’ll love it.” Scarecrow said. “The tech is weird to normal people too.”

“I see…what technology is used in the film?”

“Well…they have spaceships, I guess.”

“Space…ships?”

“Hell, like…cars but they can go into space.” Scarecrow said, earning a wide-eyed look from Gabriel.

“Vessels that can go to the stars? Beyond the sky?” Gabriel asked in wonder. The others just snickered.

“Yeah, Gabe, and those do exist nowadays, just not as…freeform as the ones in the movie.” Scarecrow said. Gabriel just sat back with wide eyes.

“I did not know we could travel to the heavens…”

“Well, they do it a lot in this movie, so…” Aaron said brightly. Gabriel just eyed the DVD case beside Enty. Scarecrow couldn’t help but smile at Gabriel’s wonder.

“I am…intrigued…” He said quietly.

“Yeah, and the effects are good. You’d like the main guy, too, he’s like the bloke from your bible stories on a basic level I guess…”

“There are…many people in the bible…”

“You know, the main character.” Scarecrow said with a snicker as Gabriel just stared at him.

“…JESUS IS NOT A CHARACT-”

“Ok, ok, calm down you two!” Aaron said, pushing Gabriel back as Scarecrow laughed in hysterics beside him. Enty just snickered as he finished eating.

“Right, right, why don’t we go get the movie set up, then?” Aaron asked, pushing his chair back. “I got some cake for us to share and some other things, so…”

“Is cake an obligatory tradition of this holiday?” Gabriel asked, standing as well.

“Yeah, usually. So is ice cream, but we don’t have a freezer at the moment because _someone_ thought it a good idea to use it to test explosives.” Aaron said, eying a smiling Scarecrow.

“Hey, we don’t have a shed anymore, I needed to test it somewhere!” Scarecrow laughed.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure.” Aaron said, smiling slightly as he began doing the dishes. These people were going to be the death of him.

~

“I don’t understand the swords…” Gabriel asked, pulling the blanket around him tighter as he leaned closer to the TV. Enty had brought down a bunch of pillows and blankets to make movie night more “comfortable”. They had all the lights off, but Gabriel had a few candles lit around.

“It’s like…energy, Gabe. They don’t make sense from a logical standpoint either, don’t worry. It’s supposed to be weird and surreal.” Aaron said, leaning back into the couch.

“Are these creatures demons?”

“No, just aliens, Gabe.” Scarecrow said with a smile as they watched.

“They look like demons…”

“They are not.”

“If you say so…”

Scarecrow couldn’t help but smile as he watched his friends watch the movie. Aaron was already a nerd who liked this stuff, the characters were cute enough for Enty to not be scared and actually enjoy it, and to Scarecrow’s amazement…Gabriel was also enjoying it. He was confused, but…he was enjoying it.

“So, in this world…machinery is sentient?” Gabriel asked.

“Yeah, it is, I guess.” Scarecrow said, reaching for one of the snacks on the coffee table.

“I like the R2 guy!” Enty said happily.

“I like Vader…” Scarecrow said, a sly grin on his face.

“But he’s evil!” Gabriel yelled, looking his way.

“And _cool.”_

“It’s just a character Gabe, it’s fine. These are all actors. Not real.” Aaron reassured. TV still confused Gabriel and Enty sometimes.

“Ah, like a play!”

“…Sure.”

“The music is nice…” Gabriel said, watching the screen intently. “And you’re right, Crow, I do like this ‘Luke’ guy…he kinda dresses like me sometimes…”

“I told yah!” Scarecrow said, throwing his hands down.

“Oh! I like Leia!” Enty said reaching for some popcorn that was on the table. “She’s awesome.”

“She _is_ the one to keep the others in line…” Aaron said slyly, eying the others. Only Scarecrow turned to face him.

“Ha, ha, ha, very funny.” He said. “And _who_ had to drive their asses to a state over to pick you up from the hospital?” Scarecrow sneered lightly. Aaron just held his hand out.

“You’re right, you’re right. Fine, compromise, we keep each other in line.” He said, turning back to the TV.

“You bet we do…” Scarecrow muttered, going back to the TV as well. They really did. They all found trouble constantly, more than the average person, but…they got each other out of it each time. They were there for each other and…Scarecrow loved that. He was difficult, yes, but…they kept him around anyway. He looked out for them, and…they bailed him out of prison each week. Scarecrow laughed slightly at the thought.

He hardly had what could be considered a family growing up, but…it seems fate made up for that in time. He sighed with a smile as he leaned back, enjoying the movie with his friends.

~

“You should have seen your face at the twist! I swear, that was worth the entire movie.” Scarecrow said, setting his plate of the coffee table. Gabriel just kept staring at the now turned off TV.

“BUT HOW?! I DON’T…HE…”

“Well, good job Enty, guess we have to buy the other two movies now…” Aaron said with a laugh. Gabriel was legitimately invested, and that was such a funny concept to them, considering Gabriel never watched TV or movies.

“I will find the others next time I go down there!” Enty said.

“Please do…” Gabriel muttered, holding a pillow against his chest.

“Right, well, it’s quite late now, I think it’s time to call it a night…” Aaron said, standing. Scarecrow just looked to the side, lost in thought.

“This was fun!” Enty said happily. Gabriel nodded in agreement.

“Quite…”

Aaron smiled as he saw his three roommates in the living room. How weird they all were, but…they found a home in each other. He could have never predicted this be the family he found in the end, but…he was glad it had been. He really was.

They all had rough lives, and they all had troubles, but they helped each other get through it all. They each filled in each other’s weaknesses, with the group of them forming a…somewhat functional unit.

Somewhat.

Aaron laughed to himself as he faced away. How strange it all was indeed.

Scarecrow sat on the couch, thinking to himself as Aaron finished cleaning the kitchen and as Enty and Gabriel discussed the movie. If he wanted to show them, it had to be now…

“Scarecrow? You alright?” Gabriel said, noticing his friend’s silence. Scarecrow turned and looked behind him. All three of the others were looking at him warmly.

“You that tired already?” Aaron asked, walking into the living room. Scarecrow just shook his head.

“N-no, it’s just…” He paused, pondering the day. The others had all given so much, not just today, but in general. He…had to give _something_ back. “I…I had…maybe…something to show you guys…I guess…”

“Ah, what Crow?” Aaron said, leaning his arm against the back of the couch.

“Oh! Is it a song?” Enty asked excitedly. He loved when Scarecrow shared his music. Scarecrow just smiled and nodded.

“Y-yeah, it is…it’s not finished yet, but…it is…”

“We’d love to hear it, Crow!” Aaron said, earning a nod from the other two.

“You know we love your music.” Gabriel reassured. Scarecrow just sighed with a smile and stood.

“R-right, one moment…” He said, grabbing his guitar. He came back and sat on the couch; the lights still dimmed as the candles on the desk flickered wildly. Aaron just kept leaning over the back of the couch, with Gabriel and Enty on it, smiles on their faces as Scarecrow tuned the instrument slightly. “It…it’s not done yet…”

“That’s fine by us, Crow. Anything you make is nice to hear.” Aaron reassured, placing a hand on Scarecrow’s shoulder.

“Yeah! This is a great way to end today!” Enty said, edging closer.

“You know your music is important to us…” Gabriel said softly. Scarecrow just blinked as he stared at his friends. They all really cared about him. They all really thought him part of their family. He shook his head as he choked down tears. Not here.

“Th-thanks, guys…ah, it’s…supposed to be a faster song but…I only have the acoustic, so…”

“I’m sure it’ll be wonderful, Crow, don’t be nervous around us.” Aaron said gently. Aaron…was a bit confused. Scarecrow was usually pretty open with his music, sometimes playing it too loud in the house. He didn’t get nervous about it often.

“Right…sure…” Scarecrow said, a small smile on his face. He took in a breath and began plucking the strings gently, altering the faster rhythms he had in his mind to a slower acoustic style. He closed his eyes as he let the words come to him.

“ _I’ve been walking down this road, with as suitcase full of dreams…. I’ve seen my demons come and go, to show me what I need…”_ He sang gently.

The others just sat quietly and listened, smiling as Scarecrow sang for them.

“ _Madness, walking dynamite, been dancing on the edge…they got me by the fuse, smiling with a match…”_

Aaron tilted his head slightly at the words. He wondered what Scarecrow was inspired by with this one.

“ _I wanted love, I wanted life, been striving for a new direction…I wanted out, I wanted more, I wanted to forget the damage left behind…”_

Scarecrow cracked his eyes open as he sang, eying his friends slightly. Aaron was listening with his eyes closed, Enty was watching with wide eyes, and Gabriel had a warm smile on his face as he stared at Scarecrow. Scarecrow smiled back and took in a breath, his nerves fading away.

“ _But I recall, the dream I had when I kept moving on…can’t stand to remember.”_

He felt Aaron’s gentle hand on his shoulder again as he sang, his own tears threatening to return. He pushed them down as he closed his eyes again, letting the music move him.

_“I recall, no turning back, now I’m moving on…”_

Scarecrow smiled as his fear fell away completely, the feeling being replaced by something else. Something much nicer as he thought of his friends by his side. His family.

_“Alone I remember…”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday Tobias Sammet!
> 
> Just a cute lil' fic to celebrate the occasion lol.
> 
> Thanks Bee for co-writing! Luv yah so much ahhh~
> 
> THINGS:  
> -No, none of them know their birthday. This will be brought up in future fics as to specifically why...  
> -Gab loves space and stuff so he liked Star Wars  
> -Aaron told him when to close his eyes during any "creepy" scenes.  
> -Gab becomes a Star Wars fan after this. Like DIE HARD.  
> -Aaron has seen the movie a few times because he loves the genre. Doctor Who is his life.  
> -Crow is NOT usually shy in sharing his music. Just when he's feeling particularly emotional.  
> -Why couldn't Tobi give us an acoustic "epic" version of the song, my LORD I crave that. Only in my mind I guess.  
> -The group proceeds to celebrate this date each year.  
> -Gab cooks well and it's always a treat when it's his turn for dinner.  
> -Crow just buys pre-cooked stuff when it's his turn lol.  
> -They all love each other ok they famiwy


	9. I wrote this drunk kinda probably

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I got basically drunk I think and the chat said "write something" so this is what I made, I proofread nothing because the chat wanted authenticity, so hahahaha.

**I wrote this kinda drunk**

_Featuring: Avantaisa protags haha u wish it was something else_

“I am still very confused…”

“Don’t…just…don’t worry about it, Gabe…”

“But…why were we all-”

“Gabe, it’s alright, let’s just…do something else…”

“How about game night?” Aaron said tiredly, stepping down the stairs, the others following. “We could really use the break…”

“Yeah, sure, sure, why not.” Scarecrow said, following him. They had just gotten Gabriel back, and everyone was exhausted.

“Cane we invite Jim this time?” Enty yelled excitedly, catching up to the group.

“Is now the best time?”

“I don’t see why not…” Aaron muttered, sitting at the kitchen table, theothers hovering around him. “Eld, do you mind?”

“Not at all…” He said, leaning againt the cabinet. He was drained, both emotionally and physically. It had been a taxing day, and they all needed to relax.

“Game night it is.” Aaron said, cleaning up his mess of machine parts on the table.

“Guys, really, can someone explain what just happened? What is all this?” Gabriel said, eying the mess on the table. Gabriel flinched when he felt Elderane place his hand on his shoulder.

“Gabe, just…trust us alright?” He said, his voice calm. Gabriel just sighed and nodded, placing his hand on Elderane’s.

“Sure, sure, alright…” he said, letting the subject go. He’d get an answer out of them someday. Elderane smiled and stepped back, taking in a calming breath. They had gotten Gabriel back and that’s what was important. Everythng worked out.

“Right, Crow, you wanna call Jim?” Aaron said, flipping through his notebook. Scarecrow nodded as he pulled out his phone. Jim didn’t usually like game night, as things often got…out of hand, but…thy hadn’t done it in a while so maybe he’d join them this time.

~

“So…what was the occasion?”

“Gabriel didn’t exist and we didn’t know, then we knew, then he did exist but he didn’t know, but then he did exist again but he was small, and then he came back and he was him again and we all knew.” Enty said, leading Jim up to the front door.

Jim just blinked as he followed the flaming man.

“I…didn’t catch a word of that, Enty…” He said in defeat, entering the house. He hadn’t been over in a while because last time he did game night, Scarecrow had gotten a hold of illegal fireworks and nearly gotten Jim written up. Was not fun time, but Jim liked the guys, so he agreed to come again.

He entered and saw Aaron and the others in the living room with Elderane, the…odd man who hung around Gabriel. He had met him before, and he knew through Aaron that he and Gabriel were a thing, but niehte rknew because they were idiots, so he didn’t say anything. Elderane was nice though, so it was fine. He was weird, but he was still the most grounded of the bunch, and Jim respected that.

“Hi fellas, thanks for having me over…” Jim said, eying the now messy room, games covering the table and couch.

“yeah, thanks for coming!” Gabriel said, greeting him. “And I promise, we took away all of Scarecrow’s fireworks.” He said, earning a laugh from Jim.

“I hope so…” He said, eying SCarecrow n the corner, a drink in his hand.

“Jim, want something?” ELderane said from the kitchen, drink in his hand. Jim held his hands up.

“No, I’m fine. Someone has to be the voice of reason tonight…” He said, fully aware how…out of hand these gathering got.

“I’m not drinking!” Enty said, edging closer. He hated alcohol and the icky taste, so he didn’t touch the stuff. Aaron liked anything fancy, Gabriel liked simple things, Elderane and Scarecrow liked anything they could get their hands on.

“Well, that’s…reassuring…” Jim said with a smile. Enty was…no help even sober.

“Right, shall we get going then?” Aaron said from the kitchen table, a deck of cards already laid out. Jim shook his head and nodded, following the group in. He prayed this time didn’t end with the FBI arriving like last time.

~

“Ok, so, like….why do you all look the same, huh?” Elderane asked, his eyes dazed as he looked at the four lookalikes.

“We don’t know! Cloning or something…” Scarecrow muttered, the drink in his hand now empty. It was his fourth one.

“Eld, I think you’ve had enough…” Gabriel said gently. He had only had two, and he felt a little out of it, but Elderane was basically having a competition with Scarecrow.

“I’m fine! I can do more….” He said, reaching for the bottle of some alcohol I don’t know how to write on the table. He poured another glass as Gabriel shook his head.

“Why do you all look the same?” Jim asked, the question being one he has pondered for a while. He had known the four for a long time, and he knew there was something weird going on with them, but he never pried or asked. He trusted them to tell him in time.

“We…really don’t know.” Gabriel said, shrugging. The didn’t have a clue. They were all from different places with no connections, that they could see. Except Acedia and Elderane looked alike, that was weird…

“No?” Jim asked, surprised that the others didn’t know.

“We looked alike because we look alike because some…dimensional connection transfer space…thing…” Aaron said, muttering as he took another sip of the glass. He was on his fourth drink as well. “We know wat we know and what we know is…we don’t know.”

“I am…lost…” Jim muttered, holding his cards in his hand. They were…jot even really playing at this point, the others were too out of it. They must have been stressed, with how much they were drinking.

“Jim, do you know AVanatsia?” Elderane asked, his voice slurred. Jim just blinked.

“I have…no idea what that is, is it a band?”

“No, no, it’sa…place in the…mind, I think…I never really checked…” Elderane said, looking around.

“You were from there, Eld, how do you not know?” Scarecro said, slamming his drink down.

“I odn’t know! I was born there, I’m not magic, I have to learn…” He said, eying the glass in his hand with dazed eyes.

“Eld, you exist reality though, you aren’t in my mind…” Aaron said, reaching out to touch the elf. He was there.

“I am but I’m not, I think…” Eldeane said, pondering the confusing situation.

“We’re not gonnna be able to play anymore are we?’ Jim said flatly, eying Gabreil.

“No, fraid not.” He said, earning a laugh from Enty.

“They are out of it.” Enty said, making a castle out of his cards on the table. He had given up when Scarecrow started speaking nonsense.

“Look, Elf boy, you got any 3s?”

“We are not playing the fishing game…”

“What are we playing?” Aaron said, eying the group.’

‘Jenga?”

“No, not after we broke the tv with the block…” Scarecrow said, grabbing more cards. No one kenw what theyw ere playing anymore. Jim sighed and set the cards down in annoyance.

“What happened that made them wanna get this drunk?” He said,eying the trio before him.

“Beats me…” Gabriel said, also annoyed. They hadn’t told him anything. Why?

“Guys, maybe we should call it a night..” Jim said, a smile on his face when he saw how relaxed the others were.

“No, Enty wanted to do amrio kar.t”

“I like the rainbow level!”

“He wins every time!” Scarecrow yelled.

“Oh, you are good at the game?” Jim asked.

“No.” Enty said brightly. Jim just blinked. He didn’t understand these people sometimes.

“Right, ok…” he said walking into the living room, the others following .

~

“Can I be the elf guy?” Elderane said, eying the character screen. He saw an elf in a green hat, he liked him.

“Yeah, but you still will lose.” Scarecrow said slyly, eying the elf beside him.

“Oh, you think you will beat me?”

“Maybe, I odn;t know…” He said, hitting play. Gabriel just watched in tired annoyed the others played. HE didn’t like the electric games much, especially when the others were drunk. They just lsot a lot and laughed, though Enty liked it because he won each time by default.

They played a bit, with Jim actually trying, though it was pointless as the others were not doing well at all and Elderane and Scarecrow kept arguing, though Jim found it funny. Scarecrow kept calling Elderane an elf, and he didn’t know why. Maybe it was the ears, but he couldn’t be a real elf that would be _stupid._

Though they had to cut the game short when Scarecrow got mad at Elderane for mocking him and Scarecrow threw the wii remote at the screen and it caught on fire somehow I odn’t know he made it happen, use ur imagination.

Aaron was too drunk to shame the others and Jim was just happy they were having fun and not doing crime. Enty won the rest of the games and Gabriel knew these people needed Jesus the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had vodka things or something, I may be drunk who knows you decide, geez don't judge me I actually hate alcohol this won't be a common thing. 
> 
> *Not canon to story ok, geez I sfjfgflkjahddsjdf


	10. Crossover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel comes across something...different...

**Prompt 8: Crossover**

_Featuring: Avantasia protags_

Gabriel was walking happily down the small dirt trail that ran along the river in the park. It was a foggy and gray morning, but it was quiet, so Gabriel was taking advantage of the wooded peace. The others were still at the house and Elderane wanted to sleep in, so Gabriel had gone to the park alone. He enjoyed the serene moments like this. The woods were peaceful and quiet, and the faint sounds of residual rain was heard through the thick trees around the small path. It had rained overnight, so the path was a bit muddy, but Gabriel didn’t care. He loved the mornings after a storm.

There usually weren’t many people out this early, so Gabriel was surprised when he heard voices from farther down the hill, closer to the bank of the fast-moving river. He looked ahead but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw someone standing by the shore.

Someone…familiar.

Gabriel had to be seeing things. His heart racing out of his chest, Gabriel hopped off the path closer towards the edge where the drop-off into the river was to get a better view without being seen. He carefully stood on the edge, pushing some bramble away to get a better look. There was a man down there looking away from him. Gabriel’s blood froze as he looked the man over. He looked… _really_ familiar. But…it couldn’t be…

Gabriel edged a bit closer, but his nerves spiked when a stick snapped from under his foot, alerting the man ahead of him, his gaze looking right towards Gabriel. Gabriel let out a surprised cry and staggered back, regret taking over his senses as he misstepped, his foot sliding off the muddy edge of the small cliff.

He yelled out in fear as the ground vanished, the air getting knocked out of him as he landed with a fearful choked cry into the deep, freezing water below. His senses overwhelmed, Gabriel tired to find the surface, but the quick current kept pulling him around, his mind not sure which way was up. He had never learned how to swim, so he was at the river’s mercy. He tried to open his eyes, but the muddy water made it impossible to see as the dirt and sand stung his eyes.

The pressure becoming too much as he ran out of held air, he opened his mouth to breathe, though there was only water around him. He thrashed his arms around once more to try and reach the surface, but he felt nothing. His chest was screaming in agony. He couldn’t breathe _, he couldn’t breathe!_

As he was starting to feel his world fade around him to nothingness, strong arms wrapped tightly around his chest, quickly pulling him in a direction he couldn’t decipher. After a few agonizing seconds, Gabriel gasped roughly for air as he felt himself break the surface of the river, his ears ringing. He kept his eyes squeezed shut as he coughed, the arms around his chest not letting go.

“Breathe.”

Gabriel heard a voice say something as course sandy ground appeared beneath him. The shore. He kept coughing as hard as he could, doing anything to get the cold water out of his airway. He felt himself get pulled out of the water completely as he was set on damp ground, the pounding sounds of the river fading. Gabriel turned over, propping himself up on shaking arms as he coughed, water dripping from his mouth as he shivered.

“Are you alright?”

The voice again. Gabriel sat back; his eyes still squeezed shut as he got his bearings. He coughed once more, getting the last of the water he didn’t mean to inhale out of his system. He was freezing. His hair was drenched, his robe was soaking wet, and he was shivering. But he was alive.

Rubbing his eyes in an attempt to ease the stinging, Gabriel cracked them open and looked around him, his head still dizzy. He saw he was much farther downstream, and he was on the shore of the river, the forest behind him. Someone had rescued him. His vision clearing, he looked beside him to see who had been talking to him.

Gabriel’s blood froze solid when he looked ahead, his eyes wide in blinding terror. He was staring into the large inhuman brown eyes of some… _creature_. Some creature that looked just like him. It looked like him, but it looked part…fish. He was a greenish-teal color and had fins on the side of his head, though he had what looked like…normal hair that was cut the same way as Scarecrow’s, except this creature’s was the same greenish color as the rest of him.

Gabriel looked down and saw the creature had webbed hands with claws on them, though the thing that shook Gabriel the most was the fact this creature had no legs, just a long fish tail. It _definitely_ wasn’t human.

Gabriel sat back, his heart pounding out of his chest as he locked eyes with the being, the creature’s expression blank aside from some traces of curiosity. Gabriel couldn’t feel anything as he stared; terror gripping his senses. He had never seen _anything_ like this before.

His heart stopped dead in his chest when the creature opened his mouth, almost like he was about to speak, though Gabriel reeled back at the sight of the sharp teeth the creature had. Gabriel let out a shrill scream, crawling backwards into the brambled woods behind him, the creature now staring at him in amusement.

Gabriel couldn’t breathe as he backed away, letting out another scream when the creature used his clawed hands to pull himself closer. Gabriel frantically grabbed for his satchel which was luckily still attached to his belt. Not breaking his gaze with the creature before him, Gabriel pulled out his phone, thanking the lord that Aaron made them buy waterproof ones for emergencies. He quickly dialed Aaron; the fish creature still crawling towards him.

~

Aaron was sitting at the kitchen table, working on a cup of coffee as he took in the gray morning. Enty and Elderane were beside him eating breakfast, and Scarecrow had just walked in, his eyes tired.

“Where’s the time capsule?”

“Walk in the park. He likes mornings like this.” Aaron said, leaning back in his chair.

“How the fuck is he a morning person…how is _anyone_ a morning person…” Scarecrow grumbled, heading for the coffee machine.

“It is a nice morning though…” Elderane said happily, eying the window. It had just rained, so it was a nice cool temperature outside. The sunlight wasn’t harsh, and it was still a bit foggy. A serene morning.

“So, are we going anywhere today?” Enty asked happily, looking among his friends. Aaron just shrugged.

“I don’t know, maybe, oh…” He paused, noticing his phone was buzzing. “It’s Gabriel…odd…” He said, pulling the phone up.

“He probably just found some cool rock and took it as a sign from God, or whatever…” Scarecrow said, coffee mug in hand.

“Here, I’ll put him on speaker…” Aaron said, hitting answer. “Gabe? You th-”

_“THERE’SANOTHERONETHERE’SANOTHERONETHERE’SANOTHERONEANDHE’SGONNAEATME!!!”_

Scarecrow coughed and turned away, choking on his coffee as Gabriel startled him, his friend downright screaming into the phone. The others jumped back in shock, with Aaron dropping the phone onto the table with a hard clank. Elderane stared with fearful eyes at the device while Aaron’s anxiety shot up. Gabriel sounded _terrified._

“Gabe?! Gabe, slow down! What’s wrong?!” Aaron yelled, picking the phone up again. Scarecrow quickly edged closer. Did Gabriel just say something about something…eating him?

_“THERE’SANOTHERONE THERE’S ANOTHER ONE!!!”_

“Another one of _what,_ Gabe?!” Scarecrow yelled, setting his mug on the table as his nerves spiked.

 _“HE’S COMING CLOSER GUYS HELP HE’S COMING!!!”_ Gabriel screamed, his voice shaking. Elderane felt his own breathing stop at the sound of Gabriel’s panic.

“H-he’s in trouble…” Enty muttered in fear, his shadows flaring wilder the more Gabriel talked.

“G-Gabe, where are you?!” Aaron yelled, his mind reeling. With how terrified Gabriel sounded, Enty may be right…

_“THE TRAIL OFF THE MAIN PATH BY THE MAP SIGN BY THE RIVER HE’S GONNA EAT ME HE’S STILL COMING HELP!!!”_

“Gabe, _Jesus,_ who’s coming?! Who’s after you?!” Scarecrow cried, taking the phone with shaking hands as Aaron ran to the door, the others quickly in tow.

_“ANOTHER ONE OF US HE’S-”_

The group paused when the line went suddenly quiet. Elderane felt tears escape his eyes as his legs went numb. Aaron turned and took the phone from Scarecrow’s hands.

“Gabe?! _GABE?!”_ Aaron cried, tears leaving his own eyes as all they could hear was some faint shuffling on the other end of the line. “Gabe, _please,_ wh-”

The group flinched at a sharp scream from Gabriel cut through, and Aaron’s heart dropped cold when the call ended, leaving the group standing in speechless shock around the phone.

“GABRIEL?!” Elderane cried, taking the phone from Aaron. He hit the call back button, but it just rang with no answer. “ _GABRIEL!!!”_ He cried again, shaking the phone as if it would do anything.

“C-come, on, he’s just down the street…oh, _god_ …” Aaron yelled, grabbing his jacket as he threw the door open. The group went outside and headed for the park down the road, fearful for their friend’s life.

Scarecrow had grabbed his metal bat before they left, holding it tight in his fist. If Gabriel _was_ being attacked, he’d make sure the idiots hurting him would _suffer._

~

Gabriel kept sliding back, his shaking legs not wanting to stand as he kept his gaze locked with the creature before him. He held his phone tight in his hand as he slid back, tears streaming from his eyes.

_“Gabe, Jesus, who’s coming?! Who’s after you?!”_

“ANOTHER ONE OF US HE’S-” Gabriel paused at the sound of footsteps behind him. He spun around and felt his heart drop when a man appeared from the trail in the woods.

A man looked _just_ like Elderane.

Or…Acedia…or the alternate Elderane…

Gabriel’s breathing picked up as the man edged closer. He had no idea if the double was friendly or not. Gabriel let out a shrill scream when he felt something cold and wet touch his arm. He dropped the phone from his hands and backed away in terror, the creature now right beside him, hand extended.

“Hey, hey, he won’t hurt you!” Elderane’s double said, his voice reassuring. Gabriel didn’t care. He kept backing away, tears sliding down his face as the creature closed in on him. “Tobi, stop! Can’t you see you’re scaring him?!”

Gabriel was clutching his heart as the creature stopped, his gaze going between Elderane’s double and Gabriel. The creature let out a small huff and backed away, crawling back from the shaking Gabriel.

“I am _so_ sorry, he just looks scary, I promise…” The double said, kneeling before Gabriel.

“I-I…I…he…” Gabriel tried, words leaving him as he stared at the creature who was contently sitting back, just watching the duo with wide eyes.

“You…do look _just_ like him though…how _fascinatin_ g…” The double said, looking Gabriel over up and down. Gabriel just blinked. He looked like Elderane, just…older. The double was now just staring oddly at Gabriel’s face, as if he were analyzing him. Gabriel whimpered and slid back farther, not liking any of this. The man before him blinked and sat back, his eyes widening. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you either…oh…” He said giving Gabriel room. “Please, my name is Andre, are you alright? You had quite the fall there…” He said, glancing to the river.

Gabriel couldn’t even feel the cold on him anymore nor could he feel his wet clothes. His mind was locked on the creature staring at him from down the shore.

“Here, let me help you…” Andre said, pulling himself to his feet. He held out a hand towards Gabriel, the man still shaking. “I promise, I won’t hurt you…you’re safe here, alright?” He said softly. He…sounded like Elderane. He sounded genuine. Swallowing his fear, Gabriel reached a trembling hand up and took Andre’s, letting him help him up.

“I…I don’t…”

“Look, before we go much farther, please, you mustn’t tell anyone about him, alright?” Andre said, motioning towards the creature. “He’s my friend, and he _did_ just save you back there.” Andre said with a smile. Gabriel locked gazes with the creature again, amusement still in its eyes. Gabriel… _had_ felt it save him.

“Th-thank…y-you…” Gabriel said, his voice shaking from both the cold and fear. He still didn’t know if he should trust this being. He jumped in his skin when the creature crawled forward a bit, his eyes still wide in curiosity. Gabriel clutched at his pounding heart, his panic rising as he watched it dig its sharp claws into the dirt as it pulled itself closer.

“Why do you look like me?”

Andre flinched as the man beside him let out a small gasp, the double falling with a thump to the damp ground. Andre shot a look at Tobi, the creature just staring at the duo.

“I told you that you were _scaring_ him!” Andre said, kneeling beside the unconscious man next to him.

“I didn’t try to.” Tobi said, crawling closer.

“Oh, what a mess…” Andre said, noticing the discarded phone by the man’s side. “Here, maybe he has family we can c-”

“GET AWAY FROM HIM!!!”

Andre flinched at a sharp yell that came from behind him. He slid back with wide eyes only to see…three others who looked like Tobi and one who looked like…himself.

Andre just blinked. This was…getting weird.

~

“GABRIEL!” Elderane cried in terror, seeing his friend unconscious on the ground. He bolted forward, not caring about the double sitting beside him. “Gabriel, are you ok?!” The elf cried, shaking his friend. Gabriel was drenched, but he didn’t appear to be injured.

“He just passed out from fright; I think.”

“Afraid of _you?!”_ Scarecrow yelled angrily, pointing the bat towards the double who raised his hands in defense. He didn’t know why this man looked like Elderane or Acedia, but he didn’t care. He _wasn’t_ going to let him hurt Gabriel.

“N-no, just…agh…my _friend_ …here…” He said in defeat, looking over to see the creature wasn’t even trying to hide. The group looked over and saw what Gabriel had to have been screaming about.

“What…the _fuck_ …” Scarecrow whispered, lowering the bat as he locked eyes with the fish creature. The fish creature who also looked just like them. Scarecrow just blinked, not sure how to process what he was seeing. And…he had thought _Enty_ was the weirdest things could get…

“What in the _world_ …” Aaron said in fascination, adjusting his glasses as he took a cautious step forward, though the creature’s eyes were locked on Enty.

“Your friend is on fire.”

“FUCK IT TALKS!” Scarecrow yelled, reeling back, the fish man flaring his fins in surprise at the shout.

“Please, don’t give us away! I assure you, he’s my friend, he wouldn’t hurt you!”

“Why the fuck was Gabriel screaming then?!” Scarecrow said, doing his best to hide the tremor in his voice.

“Crow, look at what he ran into…” Aaron said, motioning to the creature.

“Oh…r-right…”

“GAH!” Gabriel gasped, shooting up with wide eyes as he clutched his heart.

“Gabriel, it’s ok, we’re here!” Elderane said, edging forward. Gabriel just looked around, confusion on his face as he took in the odd sight before him.

“Gabe, did these guys hurt you?!” Scarecrow said coldly, holding the bat higher. Gabriel saw fear in Andre’s eyes.

“N-no, Crow, it’s…it’s ok!” Gabriel said, letting Elderane help him to his feet. “I-I just didn’t understand, I…I was just afraid…” He muttered, glancing fearfully to the creature known as ‘Tobi’.

“We…did not mean to frighten him, but…I suppose we did anyway, and I apologize…” Andre said gently, meeting Gabriel’s gaze.

“Then why are you soaking wet, Gabriel?” Elderane asked noticing that it looked like Gabriel had been fully submerged in the water. Gabriel just looked down.

“I…fell in the river.”

“What?! _Gabe_ …” Aaron sighed, throwing his head back. His friends could never stay out of danger. Gabriel looked back up once more.

“B-but… _he_ saved me…” Gabriel said, pointing to the creature.

“It…did?” Scarecrow said, still not trusting this thing.

“I did.” The being said slyly, its fins relaxing again.

“Oh, this is freaky…” Scarecrow sighed, lowering the bat down.

“I…am sorry for my reaction…” Gabriel said softly, earning a sympathetic look from Andre. “I did not expect it…to talk…”

“Oh, it’s alright…don’t worry, we understand…” He said with a smile. Gabriel smiled back then turned to the creature.

“Th-thank you, then…for helping me.”

“You swim badly.” Tobi said flatly, earning a laugh from Scarecrow. Gabriel just shot him a look.

“He’s cool looking!” Enty said, walking forward. The moment he got near, the creature used his tail to splash water onto Enty, the man staggering back.

“Tobi!” Andre yelled in annoyance, though he was confused when the… _flaming_ double just laughed.

“He likes me!”

“Why is he not burning?” Tobi asked.

“How many of us _are_ there?!” Scarecrow yelled in annoyance, now knowing there were _five_ of them present.

“I don’t believe it…” Aaron said, kneeling before Tobi who just stared at him. “What _are_ you…”

“Secret.” The creature said, earning a huff from Aaron.

“Well that’s no fun…”

“Can we keep him?!” Enty said kneeling as well beside the confused creature.

“No! I can hardly handle living with _three_ of you…” Scarecrow said, setting his bat against the tree.

“And we have a home of our own, you know…” Andre said with a smile.

“Jim…wouldn’t be able to handle this one…” Scarecrow said as he too leaned against the tree.

“Your anatomy is…incredible!” Aaron said, circling the creature who slid back a bit, nervousness in his eyes.

“Please, can someone explain what the _fuck_ is happening?!” Scarecrow yelled, still very confused.

“I would like to know as well…” Andre said, eying the flaming double. “Who are you all? Why do you all look like Tobi?”

“Right, I’m Aaron, that’s Scarecrow, Enty, Gabriel, and Elderane.” He said, pointing to each of his friends.

“I am Andre, this is Tobi.” He said, also motioning to the creature. “We were just hiding here when we saw your friend get startled and fall in the river…Tobi here got him out.”

“I…yeah…” Gabriel said as he wrung the water out of his hair. “I saw him,” he said as he pointed to Andre, “…and got confused, so I tried to get closer and fell.”

“Well…thank you so much for saving him then…” Elderane said with a smile, walking closer to the creature on the ground.

“I am sorry for scaring the long-haired me.” He replied, eying Gabriel.

“It’s ok…I just…I have never seen anything like this, especially back in my time…” He replied, earning a confused look from Andre.

“Your time?”

“I am from 1603.” Gabriel said with a shrug as Aaron face palmed. He had told the others to not just spew that information loosely.

“That is…impossible!”

“Fish people are impossible here.”

“Touché…” Andre said, eying his friend. “But…what of him?” He said, pointing to Enty.

“Right, here, I’ll save us the lengthy explanation.” Scarecrow said, stepping forward. “He’s from 1603, those two are from the Victorian era, no we don’t know why he’s on fire, he’s an elf from a fantasy world, and we all are from separate dimensions different than this one.” Scarecrow said, flatly, earning a wide-eyed look from Andre.

“Oh…oh my…” He muttered, looking at the peculiar group before him, words escaping him as his mind reeled. “That…actually explains our situation…”

“What do you mean?” Aaron asked. Andre met his gaze.

“We were enjoying the day in our world when this strange sound came, then the next thing we know…we’re here in this unfamiliar place.” He said, earning a shocked look from Aaron. “Maybe we traversed dimensions like you all did…”

“Actually…it may be my fault…” Aaron said guiltily, the rest of the group staring at him.

“Aaron, I swear to _god…”_ Scarecrow muttered, clenching his fist. Aaron took in a breath.

“Did…you two arrive here yesterday?” He asked, earning a nod from Andre. “Oh dear…”

“Why? How is it your fault?”

“I was working on a dimensional device, though it went off by accident…nothing happened, so I assumed it a failure.”

“So…you brought us here by mistake?”

“So it seems. I apologize sincerely, I can send you all back no problem.” Aaron said, causing relief to wash over Andre.

“That is reassuring…” Andre said with a smile. “And you all are really from different points in time?!” He asked, excitement in his voice. Aaron smiled.

“Yes, indeed! I can show you if y-”

“NO.” Scarecrow yelled, yanking Aaron back by his jacket. “No, no, no! We are _not_ messing with that stuff for fun!”

“But Crow…”

“But nothing, clockwork!” Scarecrow sneered. Aaron just glared at him.

Enty stood back beside the creature as his friends argued, with Andre listening intently. The flaming man looked down when he felt something grab his wrist.

“I’ll help you…” Tobi said, using his other hand to crawl towards the river. Enty just laughed.

“Ok! Help me with what?” He said, letting the fish man guide him. Tobi didn’t answer and instead slid into the water, pulling Enty with him. “I can’t swim though…” Enty said, wading into the water as Tobi swam around him, his eyes wide.

“Why are you still burning?” He asked, seeing as Enty was in the water though the black fire was still flickering.

“Oh, this? This doesn’t go out.” Enty said with a shrug.

“It doesn’t?”

“Nope! Doesn’t hurt though, don’t worry…” Enty said with a laugh as Tobi held his hand and examined it, his gaze locked on the flames.

“TOBI! Get him out of there!”

Enty and Tobi looked up to see the group looking at them, with Andre giving Tobi an annoyed look. Tobi huffed and pushed Enty towards the shore.

“Woah! You’re strong.” Enty said lightly, not caring that he was drenched from the waist down.

“I am so sorry about that…” Andre said as Enty approached, the creature crawling behind.

“It’s cool! He’s friendly.” Enty said. Andre was going to respond when he glanced at Elderane.

“So…you’re like a younger me…and also an…elf…” He said, noticing the ears on his double.

“So it seems!” Elderane said with a laugh. Andre just stared at him.

“This defies all science…”

“Again, so does he…” Aaron said, eying the creature closer. “You must tell me more about him!”

“You’re a scientist then?” Andre said lightly. Aaron nodded.

“I am! Though I work more with machines than biology…” He muttered.

“I’m a scientist.” Tobi said, earning a shocked look from Aaron.

“You…you _are?!”_

“He is.” Andre said proudly. Aaron just looked back to the creature.

“What do you know?”

“Mechanical engineering and space travel.”

Aaron just sat back with wide eyes, his world going silent as his mind reeled.

“I think the fish being is giving you a run for your money, Aaron!” Elderane said with a laugh. Aaron just stared speechless at the smirking creature. It…couldn’t be smarter than him…could it?

Scarecrow just hung back as the group talked, though he noticed Gabriel was by his side, his robe still soaking wet.

“You sure you’re alright?” Scarecrow asked, noticing Gabriel was shivering a bit.

“I am just…cold and confused…” He said, edging closer to Scarecrow who gave a small laugh.

“Here, you idiot.” He said, removing his own jacket as he threw it over Gabriel who took it happily.

“Th-thank you, Crow…”

“Just don’t go falling into any more rivers, ok?” He said lightly. “And my god…you scared the _hell_ out of us, you know!”

“ _You_ were scared? _I_ was scared!” Gabriel defended, eying the creature. “I’m sorry, I…I didn’t know what to think, I…I just got overwhelmed, and-”

“Hey, it’s alright, ok? The fish thing is nice, and you’re safe. That’s all that matters.” Scarecrow said, lightly punching Gabriel’s arm. Gabriel smiled and edged closer, letting Scarecrow put his arm around his shoulder. “The fish creature is freaky as all hell, but at least he wasn’t going to eat you.” Scarecrow finished with a shrug as he held Gabriel against him, hoping to ease his friend’s shivering.

“I see you brought the bat…” Gabriel said with a smile, glancing over as Scarecrow laughed.

“Look, I’ll put it this way, if that fish thing weren’t friendly and had hurt yah, I woulda made sushi outta him.” He said, pulling Gabriel closer as the younger man laughed.

“Oh, I believe it. Just don’t tell Andre that…”

“Oh, I won’t. He seems just as frantic as Elderane is.” Eying the double who was yelling at Tobi for trying to pull Enty into the river again.

Aaron was still sitting dumbfounded on the ground, amazed by the concept of space travel being a common thing in this double’s world. Also because the fish was smarter then him. He didn’t want to think about that, though.

Elderane was helping Andre drag Tobi and Enty out of the river.

“So…you are a version of me, then?” Andre said, trying his best to stay calm about the whole situation as he watched Tobi and Enty go farther up the shore towards Aaron, where the scientist edged closer to Tobi to look him over with a fascinated expression.

“Apparently.” Elderane said with a smile, running his hand through his hair as he calmed his nerves.

“Sorry again for scaring your friend…” Andre said, eying the long-haired double. “His reaction makes even more sense now that I know when he’s from…”

“Oh, yes, he doesn’t take surprises well…” Elderane said.

“So it seems. I believe I startled him and that caused him to fall into the river…”

“Oh, yes, he finds trouble more often than not…” Elderane said as the two approached the group. “The stress of it all is…unbearable sometimes.”

“Oh, I understand. Tobi often seeks out danger. Last week he tried to fight a shark.” Andre said, earning an impressed look from Scarecrow.

“I won.” Tobi said, pride in his voice.

“I had to carry you back to the house, and surgically sew one of your fins back together!” Andre cried, his voice shaking.

“But I won.” Tobi said again. Scarecrow smirked. Maybe this fish thing was alright.

“Yes, yes, so you did…”

“What do you do then?” Aaron asked. Andre smiled.

“Marine biologist.”

“That should have been obvious…” Elderane said, eying the creature.

“Well, it’s nice to meet a double who isn’t batshit insane.” Scarecrow said as he eyed Andre. He knew Acedia, and Gabriel had told him about the alternate dimension Elderane. He was starting to think their Elderane was a rare occurrence of kindness.

“It seems…you all are still quite similar…” Andre said, looking at the five doppelgangers.

“Apparently…” Aaron said, looking around him. “How peculiar…”

“Indeed…maybe there is some dimensional pattern we haven’t figured out yet…” Andre said. There was no way all five doubles convened like this by chance, or at least…the original four. This was…intriguing to say the least.

“Well, before we get into dimensional physics, I think both Gabe and Enty need some dry clothes, so would you two like to come over for a bit?” Aaron asked. “I can fix the dimensional machine and send you home when you’re ready.”

“I would like that, though he needs water…” Andre said, motioning to Tobi.

“There’s a kid’s pool in the garage I used for mixing experimental flammable liquids I can wash out.” Scarecrow said, earning a sharp look from Aaron.

“That’ll do…” Andre said, amused by the group’s dynamic. “Tobi, you mind?”

“No. I will use the crazy one’s pool.”

“Hey!”

“Sorry…sorry, he…just kinda says what he’s thinking most of the time.” Andre said, walking up to Tobi. Aaron watched in amusement as Andre picked up the fish man, carrying him in his arms. It was obvious he has done that many times.

“Right, let’s go get set up then…” Aaron said, leading the group back to the main trail, praying no one saw the… _very_ strange group walking through the park. Luckily, the colder and rainy weather seemed to keep people inside, and they didn’t run into anyone as they got to the house.

~

“I have engineered my own spacecraft and traversed the galaxy.”

“I’ve almost perfected dimensional travel.”

“I helped create a light-speed engine.”

“I’ve manipulated _time itself_ on multiple occasions!

“I-”

“Ladies, geez, you’re both pretty, we get it, please shut the fuck up.” Scarecrow said tiredly, taking a drink from the wine glass in his hands. The group was in the living room and Aaron was on the floor by the coffee table as he worked on the device. Tobi was in the kiddie pool beside him, watching with curiosity as he swiped away one of the rubber ducks Enty had placed in the pool for him. Tobi was…confused by these objects.

Gabriel and Enty had changed, and Elderane was sitting with Gabriel by his side on the couch, the elf’s arm around his friend as he held him close. Enty was walking over to Tobi, some fruit in a bowl for Tobi to eat.

“Sorry we don’t have anything else…” Aaron said, eying the fish man. Andre just put his hands up with a laugh.

“Oh, you all are doing more than enough, this is wonderful. It’s just nice knowing we can go home…”

“What’s your home like?!” Enty said excitedly, sitting beside Tobi. Andre just shrugged.

“It seems fairly close to this one, or at least…mine is.” He said, the group eying the creature.

“What about Nemo’s over there?” Scarecrow said, motioning to Tobi as Enty handed him an apple. Tobi paused and looked at the group.

“Don’t know much. It was wet.” He said, taking the apple from Enty. Scarecrow just glared at Andre who shrugged.

“He…really doesn’t know much about his past.”

“Hey, like me!” Enty said, the creature looking at him in curiosity.

“You know not of your past?” He asked, sliding over closer to Enty.

“Nope! Nothing.”

“I do not know much either…” Tobi said, his eyes wide. Enty smiled brightly at him.

“We can forget together!” He said happily. Tobi just blinked as he stared at the…strange being before him. He didn’t understand the flaming man, but…he liked him. Tobi edged closer to Enty, his laugher making him feel happy.

“Damnit why aren’t I drunk yet…” Scarecrow said, finishing his glass. Today was weird and stressful, and it wasn’t even noon yet. Gabe almost drowned, they found more doubles, and there is a fish man sitting in a kiddie pool in their living room. Scarecrow was burnt out already.

“But yes, our world is quite tame. No…dimensional travel or…time travel, or…whatever you all have going on here…”

“Lucky…” Scarecrow sneered, looking away. Why did they get the insane world and the fish man got the tame one?

“Aside from being wanted by the government, of course…” Andre said, causing Scarecrow to choke on his drink. He looked at Andre with wide eyes.

“You _what?!”_

“Yes, we had to move a few times and change some legal documents…like you said, his kind is…not normal in my world either. We have been avoiding the government for a while now…” Andre said, eying Tobi who was conversing with Enty.

“Jesus…” Scarecrow muttered. They had their run in with the government before with Enty, but…they hadn’t given them any trouble for a long time.

“Yes, it is stressful, but we make do.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to…stay in this world?” Gabriel said softly. Andre smiled at him.

“Oh, yes, I believe he have gotten those men off our backs for a while. We will be fine.”

“Well, if you ever need a place to hide, you’re welcome here.” Aaron said, glancing up from his work.

“Ah…thank you…you all are very kind for what we put you through this morning.”

“We’ve been through worse.” Scarecrow said with a shrug.

“Yes…weird danger seems to follow us…” Gabriel said, edging closer to Elderane.

“Like what?” Andre said, innocence in his voice. Aaron and Scarecrow exchanged a glance.

“You sure you wanna know?” Aaron said cautiously, knowing this Andre was more grounded than the rest of them. He may not take things well…

“Oh, I would…this is all so scientifically fascinating!” He said eagerly. Scarecrow shrugged and set his glass aside.

“Well, we’ve had trouble with actual demons on multiple occasions.” He said, causing Andre’s eyes to widen. Tobi just stared blankly at Scarecrow as he listened.

“Th-that’s…not possible…”

“I have had several encounters with ghosts.”

“W-wait, you-”

“We saved Gabriel from being burned at a witch trial!”

“Y-you what?!”

“It wasn’t fun.”

“I make a lot of enemies that try to kill us…”

“They cut my hair once.”

“My flames hurt ghosts!”

“Aaron opened a door to some reverse-world alternate dimension.”

“My screams scared the demon away.”

“We have all almost died more than once.”

“I did die once.”

Andre just stared blankly at Aaron as the man worked, not even glancing up.

“You… _what?”_

“You asked, you know.” Scarecrow said, getting up to get more wine. Andre just stared at the group.

“I…don’t think I can process all this…” He said, running his hand through his hair.

“Don’t try to, we can’t even do it.” Elderane said with a smile. Andre just let out a breath and leaned back, not sure what to think.

“This world is fun.” Tobi said, slyness in his voice. Andre shot him a look.

“You would find it fun!”

“I think the fish and I gotta hang out sometime…” Scarecrow said, leaning back into the couch with a new glass of wine. “He gets me.”

“He looks for trouble and almost dies each time!”

“Exactly!”

“Oh, lord…” Andre said, leaning back. He looked up and met Elderane’s gaze. “You were right, this world is…exhausting…and I’m just _thinking_ about it…”

“Yes, but you learn how to make do and survive.”

“How do you do that?”

“We stick with each other!” Enty said brightly. “We’re family!”

“I see…” Andre said with a smile, eying the strange group of misfits around him. They certainly were an odd bunch, but…

He watched his own double pull Gabriel closer, the two huddled on the couch. He saw Scarecrow laughing at Enty as Tobi poured water on him once more while Aaron scrambled to keep the electrical machine away from the water.

They were a family…somehow. Andre couldn’t help but smile. He too had found solace in his…peculiar friend, and it seems this bunch had done the same. It was a nice thing to think about.

The group spent some more time talking, with Scarecrow finally relaxing, though as it got later, Aaron finally got the machine done.

“Right, you all sure you’re ready to go back?” He asked, eying Andre who was kneeling beside Tobi on the floor. The biologist nodded.

“This world seems a bit too much for me…”

“I like it.” Tobi said, earning a snicker from Scarecrow. Andre shot the merman a look.

“You’d get maimed after day three of staying here! We’re going home, alright?”

“Fine. I want a pool like this one, though.” Tobi said, lowering himself into the water more as he swatted one of the rubber ducks in it closer to him. Andre sighed.

“Yes, yes, fine. I’ll buy one.”

“And these.” Tobi said, holding the small toy up. Andre just blinked as he stared at the creature.

“Sure…” He muttered, shaking his head. He turned towards the group. “Sorry again for the scare, my friend…” He said towards Gabriel, who just held his hands up.

“It’s fine, it wasn’t your fault…” He said with a smile.

“Ah, do take care though, all of you…” Andre said as he scanned the group. “You all seem to find trouble so often…please be cautious.”

“We will!” Enty said peppily. “We look out for each other!”

“So it seems.” Andre said with a laugh, recalling how the group had eagerly come to their friend’s rescue earlier.

“And you two be cautious as well…” Aaron said, edging closer.

“We will, we will…we have been avoiding our enemies for a few years now, and all has been well.”

“Good…now, here’s the device, ok?” Aaron said, handing the small machine to Andre. “Hit that button, that switch, and hold that one down. Make sure you’re holding on to each other, and don’t let go until you’re home, alright?” He said, backing away. Andre nodded.

“Thank you so much for everything…” Andre said one las time, smiling as the group stood back.

“Go fight a shark for me.” Scarecrow said with a sly smile, earning a similar one from Tobi.

“Oh, y-”

“No! No, he won’t!” Andre said, holding on to Tobi as Scarecrow laughed. Andre rolled his eyes. “Right…thank you all…” He said, pressing the instructed buttons. The rest of the group stood back as the familiar ringing and light returned, though after a moment, it was gone, as were Andre and Tobi. For a moment all was quiet as the ringing faded.

“Well that was fucked up.” Scarecrow yelled, turning away towards the kitchen.

“They were nice!” Enty said, following him.

“I…think I need to rethink some designs in my schematics…” Aaron said, noting how Andre and Tobi weren’t even in the house when they got transported here.

“You need to rethink the devices as a whole, clockwork.” Scarecrow said as he leaned in the kitchen doorway. “What if you transport someone dangerous here?!”

“Oh, the odds of that are slim…” Aaron said, waving his friend off.

“What about my double?” Gabriel said softly. Aaron paused a moment.

“He turned out ok! Besides, I can’t imagine any of our doubles being more threatening than the fish thing…and he was nice.”

“Then just be careful, you idiot.” Scarecrow said, turning away again. Aaron sighed and leaned back, letting his nerves from the day fade.

“I will, I will…” He said softly. He would be cautious. Surely he wouldn’t ever transport anything truly dangerous here, would he? Aaron shook his head. No, probably not. The biologist and the fish were nice, and Aaron liked meeting new friends. Though he did wonder…

How many other weird alternate dimensions were really out there?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHAHA feesh.
> 
> Feesh Tobi and Andre belong to my good friend Wattpad user Starman1569!
> 
> This was excactly half angst half fun, and I didn't know where to put it, so it's going here because I don't care. I pushed Gabriel in a river, what do yah want from me?
> 
> Feesh Tobi, if you don't know, is from the Ayreon universe and is a species of the Forever. He don't know much but he likes his Andre, so, ye. 
> 
> See, they THINK the protags world is more chaotic...but that's only because Andre is from a time where the rest of the Ayreon BS hasn't happened yet. Their world is tame...for now.
> 
> *Fic is NONcanon to the rest of the series


	11. Change Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel gets caught in one of Aaron's experiments again. Elderane is shaken, Enty is having fun, Scarecrow is confused, and Aaron has to work fast.

**Change Pt. 1**

_Featuring: Avantasia protags_

“Crow?”

“Yeah, Gabe?”

“Do you have one of those small music projecting thingies?”

“The hell you mean by that?” Scarecrow said, opening his door to Gabriel who was standing there, phone in hand.

“Well, I found some stuff I like to listen to help me sleep, but my phone doesn’t play them well on its own…”

“Just use headphones, dude.”

“I do not like them, they are uncomfortable…”

“So…what did you want?”

“A music amplification device…” Gabriel said, earning a tired look from Scarecrow.

“You mean…a speaker?”

“Yes, one of the small ones…they sound better…” Gabriel said pleadingly. Scarecrow just rolled his eyes.

“Yikes, we need to get back to you doing some tech classes or something…” Scarecrow said, turning around. He let out a sigh as he turned back. “Ah, sorry Gabe, I think my last one blew up…accidentally…” He muttered quietly. Gabriel just looked down in defeat.

“Ah, alright…” He said, heading back to his room.

“Wait, I think Aaron might have one as well, didn’t he?” Scarecrow said, stepping into the hall. Gabriel looked over in thought. Yes, he had seen Aaron with one…

“Y-yeah, he did I think.” Gabriel said, facing Scarecrow. “But he’s sleeping for once, and…I don’t want to wake him when he actually gets rest…”

“It’s probably just in the basement with the rest of his junk, just go look for it, I’m sure he won’t mind.” Scarecrow said, going back to his room as he pulled the door shut, leaving Gabriel in the hall.

“Alright!” Gabriel said happily, walking down the stairs to the basement. He just wanted to listen to some calming music, why must everything be so difficult in this house…

Gabriel reached the basement and looked around the messy room, with various machine parts scattered on the red carpet. Aaron had been working a lot lately, so the room was more of a mess than usual. He shrugged and stepped over the mess, scanning the room for anything that looked like the small device he was looking for.

“Ah, here…” He muttered to himself, grabbing a small device from off the back shelf. It…kinda looked like the speaker, though it had more buttons on it than he remembered Scarecrow’s having. Shrugging again, he pocketed the device and headed upstairs, waving it off as Aaron once again messing with any and all tech he could get his hands on.

Gabriel reached his room and sat on the edge of his bed, pulling out the small device. He grabbed what looked like the connecting wire and pulled his phone close, eying it.

“Ok, how did these connect again…?” Gabriel muttered, hooking the wire up to the phone. He heard an odd beeping noise but shrugged it off as the notification sound that the device was on. “Now how…does it _work_ …” He said, turning the device over in his hands. He could never figure these things out. He began pressing a few of the buttons, hoping it would do something.

~

Aaron groggily opened his eyes, running his hand through his hair as he blinked awake. Scarecrow had been making him take naps when he was getting close to sleep deprivation, and while it hindered his work ethic, he _was_ able to function better. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, though he froze when he heard a high-pitched ringing sound come from down the hall.

A _familiar_ high-pitched ringing sound.

His heart now racing, Aaron jumped out of bed as the sound faded. He pulled his door open to see Scarecrow also looking out, fearful confusion on his face.

“Scarecrow… _please_ tell me that was you…” Aaron muttered quietly. His heart dropped when Scarecrow shook his head.

“N-no, I was just…” Scarecrow faded, his gaze going to Gabriel’s door when they heard a small crashing sound.

“J-Jesus Christ…” Aaron cursed, sliding to Gabriel’s door, and pushing it open.

Aaron’s heart stopped when he opened it, taking in the scene before him. He could hear Scarecrow cursing every swear in the book behind him as he too looked in.

“Aawon!”

Aaron felt nausea wash over him when he saw the child version of his friend run towards him, with Gabriel clinging to his leg as Aaron’s face paled. He looked down to see the little Gabriel smiling brightly at him.

Gabriel was a child again.

“Oh…oh dear…” Aaron managed; his throat tight as his breathing picked up. He gripped his chest as it became hard to take in air. “H-how did this happen?!” He yelled, pulling his hair as he turned to face Scarecrow, the man’s face now pale as he stared at Gabriel in horror.

“Oh…fuck…” He muttered; his eyes wide. Aaron glared at him in fear.

“Cwow! Cwow yay Cwow!” Gabriel cried, letting go of Aaron and running towards the stunned Scarecrow, clinging to his leg. Scarecrow didn’t move and instead kept his gaze locked on Gabriel. Aaron could see Scarecrow shaking a bit as tears formed in his eyes.

“Crow?!” Aaron tried again, louder. Scarecrow slowly looked up to meet his gaze, terror in his eyes.

“He…he wanted to use a speaker for his music…I…” Scarecrow took in a sharp breath, his tears not stopping. He couldn’t stop them this time. “I told him to look in the basement for yours…”

Aaron’s eyes widened, the man’s hand still gripping his chest.

“C-Crow, I used my speaker for a project!” He cried. His heart dropped when a look of horror appeared on Scarecrow’s face as he looked past him. “Crow?”

“Is…that the project?” He whispered, pointing to inside Gabriel’s room. Aaron turned and felt his blood freeze. There was the device he had created, smashed to pieces on the floor.

“Oh…oh no…” Aaron muttered, walking into the room slowly. The feeling being lost in his legs, he fell to his knees before the shattered bits of machinery.

The device was completely destroyed.

“You…you can fix him, right?” Scarecrow said, walking into the room with Gabriel clinging to his leg, sitting on his foot. The scientist didn’t respond. “Aaron? You can fix Gabriel, right?!” He urged, yelling louder over the child’s laughter.

“I…dismantled the once device that was capable of doing this and…I repurposed the other…” He said, picking up one of the small pieces. It was beyond simple repair.

“Aaron…he’s…he’s not stuck like this, is he?!” Scarecrow cried, motioning to the laughing child. Aaron just let the machine part fall from his hands to the floor, dread suffocating his mind. “Aaron, _god,_ you can get our Gabriel back, can’t you?!” Scarecrow yelled, unable to stop the tears this time as black streaks slid down his face.

“I…I can…”

“Then do it!” Scarecrow yelled, causing Aaron to flinch.

“I…I need to start from basically scratch…he demolished this device…” Aaron said, pulling himself to his feet. He couldn’t bring himself to meet Scarecrow’s horrified gaze. “I can fix him, but…but I need time and…and I’m out of parts…I need to go to the store, and-”

“AARON WHAT THE FUCK?!” Scarecrow screamed, causing both Aaron and Gabriel to flinch. “He…he can’t be _stuck_ like this!” He cried. Aaron’s heart shattered. He hated seeing Scarecrow cry. It wasn’t right. “I want my friend back, Aaron!”

“And he’ll come back! I just need some time!”

“How long?!”

“A…a few days, m-”

“DAYS?!” Scarecrow screamed. “You’re telling me he’s stuck like this for _days?!”_

“Just until I fix the device! I promise, I can get him back!”

“Oh, Aaron, what have you _done?!”_ Scarecrow yelled, throwing his hands to his face.

“Cwow mad?” Gabriel muttered, sitting on the floor between his two friends. Scarecrow kept facing away. He couldn’t stop the tears. He hated when this happened the first time, and now Gabriel was back to this messed up scenario.

And it was _his_ fault.

Scarecrow covered his eyes with his hand as he let out a quiet sob, his breath hitching in his throat. He couldn’t deal with this again. He couldn’t. He tried to breathe, but his guilt was wrapping tightly around his throat, making it hard to form words.

“Crow?” Aaron said, taking a step forward. His nerves spiked when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Scarecrow just shook his head.

“Elderane is going to _murder_ you…” He muttered, his voice broken. Aaron’s face paled when he realized…

Elderane was _not_ going to take this well.

“Hey, guys, I heard yelling, do I need t-”

“Aldoowane!”

Elderane’s heart stopped as he stood in the doorway of Gabriel’s room, a tiny child now clinging to his leg. Elderane didn’t look down, but instead kept his gaze locked on Aaron across the room.

“Aaron.”

“Y-yeah?”

“This _better_ not be who I think it is…” He growled, causing Aaron to back away. Elderane turned and saw Scarecrow hiding his face in the corner. Taking in a breath, Elderane looked down.

“My elf!” The little Gabriel cried, pointing to Elderane. The elf looked back towards the now shaking Aaron. Without saying a word, Elderane walked into the room towards his suitcase, the child happily following him.

“Eld…?” Aaron muttered, fearful of the silence he was getting from his friend. He paled when Elderane turned around, an unsheathed dagger in his hand. Aaron took a fearful step back.

“Run.” The elf sneered, taking an equal step forward. Gabriel looked up with wide eyes at the item in Elderane’s hand.

“E-Eld, look, I…I can explain…” Aaron said, backing away more. He glanced to the side and saw Scarecrow still hiding his face, shaking slightly. Elderane didn’t break his stride and kept approaching, fury in his eyes.

“You are out of chances, Blackwell…” Elderane said, his voice sharp. Aaron backed against the wall, terror in his eyes as Elderane approached.

“No!”

Aaron flinched when he felt something grab his leg. He looked down and saw the little Gabriel clinging to him, a look of distress on his face as he stared up at the furious Elderane.

“Gabby, move so I can teach him a lesson…” Elderane sneered. Gabriel let out a whimper and huddled closer to Aaron’s leg, holding him tighter.

“No hurty!” He cried, standing before Aaron. Aaron just blinked. Gabriel was defending him. He felt a pang of emotion jab at his heart. Even though he caused this…Gabriel still was there for him. Aaron looked up and saw Elderane was staring at Gabriel, his expression almost sad.

“Gabe…”

“Aawon fwend!” Gabriel yelled, buring his face in Aaron’s leg. Elderane sighed and lowered the dagger, his rage fading as tears streamed from his eyes.

“Eld, please…” Aaron said, reaching his hand towards Elderane who just walked away, putting the dagger back into the suitcase.

“Eld, really, it wasn’t totally his fault…”

Elderane looked over through teary vision and saw Scarecrow standing by the closet, his makeup running.

“What do you…”

“I had told Gabe to go look for something in Aaron’s basement. Yeah, clockwork here made the device, but I told Gabe to go get it.” He said honestly. Elderane looked back to the little Gabriel.

“I can’t believe you people…” Elderane muttered, turning away.

“Eld?”

“How many times must you _take_ him from me?!” Elderane cried, his voice breaking.

“Eld, I can fix him, ok? I just need time!” Aaron said, reaching down to pick up the child Gabriel, holding him close. Gabriel laughed and reached a tiny hand up as he patted Aaron’s head, the man ignoring him as he approached Elderane.

“Aaron…I can’t _do_ this anymore…” Elderane whispered, his body shaking as he sobbed. “I _can’t_ keep losing him…”

“He’s not gone! He’s just…small…” Aaron muttered, eying the child in his arms.

“Aldoowane sad…” Gabriel said softly, reaching out towards the elf. Elderane turned and let out a defeated sigh, taking the child from Aaron’s arms.

“I understand, Aaron…just… _please_ , fix him soon…” He said, holding Gabriel closer. Aaron nodded.

“I need to run to the store; I don’t have the right parts to fix this at the moment…” He said, heading for the door. “I…I may need a lot actually…” He said quietly, going over the schematics in his head. He couldn’t mess this up. He had to do this right and get Gabriel back.

“What do we do while you’re gone?” Elderane said, the laughing Gabriel held tightly in his arms. Aaron looked behind him towards Scarecrow and Elderane.

~

“Come on, just…watch him for a bit, Crow!”

“I’m not good with kids!”

“You’re good with Gabriel though…”

“This isn’t our Gabriel!”

“It kinda is…”

“Aaron!”

Scarecrow stood in annoyance before Aaron, the man obviously stressed as he stared back.

“Crow I _need_ to go to the store and I need Enty to go with me to help carry things, so you and Elderane can just…keep an eye on him, alright?”

“But Aaron…” Scarecrow whined as he glanced to the side. He saw the tiny four-year-old Gabriel climbing over the couch with Elderane struggling to keep him from falling.

“You can do it, Crow, it’s just Gabriel. You handled him when he first got to this world, didn’t you?”

“This is worse than that! He’s got _less_ common sense now!” Scarecrow yelled, motioning to behind him where Elderane had just grabbed Gabriel to stop him from jumping off the top of the couch. Aaron just shrugged.

“Crow, you don’t have a choice, just…play him some music, keep him entertained and safe, and we’ll be right back!” He said, heading for the door, leaving Scarecrow with the small Gabriel and the frantic Elderane. Scarecrow sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, the sounds of Gabriel laughing behind him ringing in his ears.

“Crow! Help me, he won’t calm down!” Elderane cried, his grip tight on the back of Gabriel’s robe as the child ran in place, laughing.

“I sabe Abantasa!” He yelled, breaking free from Elderane’s grasp. The duo just watched as Gabriel ran in circles around the living room, yelling happily as he did so.

“The hell is he doing?!” Scarecrow said, already annoyed by the child’s antics. He missed his Gabriel.

“He…seems to be pretending he is going through his initial adventure through Avantasia…” Elderane said, eying the child with tired eyes. Scarecrow was about to say something when Gabriel broke his pattern and ran towards him, nearly causing him to stumble back.

“Gabe! The hell…” He said, confused as to why Gabriel was now running in circles around just him.

“Scawy tower! Scawy tower!” Gabriel yelled, running angrily around Scarecrow as he stood confused in the middle. Scarecrow just looked pleadingly towards Elderane, though Elderane just shrugged nervously in response.

“Sabe Abantasa!” Gabriel screamed, running towards the kitchen.

“Gabriel, no!” Scarecrow yelled in panic, running to grab Gabriel as he tried to climb the counter. He pulled him down, though the child squirmed in his grasp.

“No! Scawy tower!” He yelled, reaching forward. Scarecrow let out a cry when Gabriel grabbed an empty paper-towel roll from the counter and proceeded to hit him on the head with it.

“Gabriel, Jesus…” He said in annoyance, setting the child down. Gabriel laughed and held the carboard roll above his head.

“I got da seals!” He yelled proudly as he ran into the living room, giggling when Scarecrow walked in.

“Elderane, what the _hell_ went on in your world?”

“It is…complicated…” The elf said, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked down in surprise when Gabriel ran up to him.

“Seals! For you pwince!” He laughed, holding the object up towards Elderane. Elderane took it with a small smile, earning a laugh from Gabriel.

“Thank you, my child…” Elderane said, setting it aside as Gabriel began running again.

“Right. I need alcohol.” Scarecrow said flatly, tuning around towards the kitchen. Elderane just stared as Gabriel ran around the house, muttering nonsense to himself as he played. Elderane really missed his Gabriel. This child version of him was cute, but…it wasn’t him. Not for a long time…

“Pwince Aldooane!” Gabriel cried, running up to him once more, a small stick from the fireplace now in his hands. Elderane just kneeled in front of him, the child’s eager eyes shining brightly.

“Y-yes, what is it my child?”

“Where Vanwoy?” He asked, looking around in anticipation. Elderane felt his heart shatter as he saw the innocent look in Gabriel’s eyes. The child…didn’t remember.

“He’s…not here, right now, my child…” He said, earning a sad look from Gabriel. “He’s just…on vacation…” He said, the sad look on Gabriel’s face changing to a smile.

“Oki!” Gabriel yelled, running away again. He watched Gabriel circle the couch.

“Save Jakob!” He yelled as he began beating the couch with the stick. “Die dwagon!”

Elderane smiled at the sight. At least…Gabriel couldn’t comprehend the trauma of his past. For now, he was at peace, if only temporarily. The elf pushed down tears as he stared at his small friend, the child yelling angrily as he attacked the couch. He sometimes wished that his Gabriel found peace of mind in such a way, where he would one day stop carrying the weight of the dead on his shoulders. He just…didn’t want Gabriel to let it suffocate him. He just wanted him to be happy. Elderane looked over as Scarecrow walked in tiredly, a glass of wine in his hands.

“Geez, what the hell is he rambling about now?!” He said, taking in the odd sight of Gabriel yelling as he hit the couch repeatedly with the stick. Once he spoke, Gabriel’s attention turned to him, his eyes wide.

“Chawice of Agny!” He yelled, running towards a confused Scarecrow. Gabriel began jumping up in front of him, his hands stretched upwards.

“The hell…?” Scarecrow muttered as Gabriel began trying to climb his leg. He just held the glass of wine higher above his head as he stared in confusion at his small friend.

“Chawice! Chawice of Agny!” Gabriel yelled, desperation in his voice as he jumped. Scarecrow looked over to Elderane again.

“Why does he keep dragging me into this?” He said in annoyance.

“He…I do not know…” Elderane said tiredly, leaning against the couch. He prayed Aaron hurried. He snapped back to attention when he saw Gabriel had managed to climb up a distressed Scarecrow a way, the man staggering backwards.

“Get off, Gabe!” He yelled, trying to shake the giggling child off him.

“Chawice!” Gabriel yelled, reaching up again with tiny hands towards the wine glass in Scarecrow’s hand.

Scarecrow let out a yelp as he tripped on the end table, the added weight of Gabriel clinging to him causing him to fall backwards, the glass in his hands shattering as it hit the floor. He just remained on the ground as Gabriel stood on his chest.

“Scawy tower gone!” Gabriel cheered, eying the fallen Scarecrow who just laid his head back in defeat.

“Gabe get off him…” Elderane muttered, running over as he picked up Gabriel.

“Pwince! Where Anna?” Gabriel yelled as Elderane held him.

“She is…safe, my child, don’t worry…”

“Yay!” Gabriel cried, squirming out of Elderane’s grasp as he was set onto the floor. Elderane ran over and helped Scarecrow up.

“So sorry, my friend…” He said, pulling the jaded Scarecrow to his feet.

“Yeah, yeah, this just solidifies the fact I’m not having kids.” He said, wiping the spilled wine off his arm. He looked behind him and saw a stain on the carpet from where he fell and dropped his glass.

“Ah, Aaron will be displeased…let me get the cleaning supplies…” Elderane said quickly, vanishing up the stairs.

Scarecrow just took in a breath, though his anxiety rose when he saw Gabriel run full speed towards the back door. Recalling the previous save by Elderane, he ran forward to grab him, only to miss as he fell to the ground. He looked up and saw Gabriel run face first into the door and stumble back, his head in his hands as he whimpered.

“G-geez, Gabe…” Scarecrow said, feeling sorry for his friend as he edged closer to the crying Gabriel. Even if it was a child, it was still Gabriel, and…he hated seeing him hurt. “Gabe?” He said softly, sitting beside the crying child.

Gabriel looked up at him with teary vision, and Scarecrow saw a bruise forming on his friend’s head. Gabriel just whimpered and hid his face in his hands again as he cried.

“Gabe come on…” Scarecrow said sadly, edging closer. He placed an unsure hand on Gabriel’s head, not sure how else to help. He had seen Elderane do this with Gabriel, and he seemed to like it. Gabriel looked up at the touch, the child reaching his own small hand up as he placed it on Scarecrow’s, holding it tight.

Scarecrow had to admit it was…weird feeling his friend’s hand be so small on his own, as was the fact that his own hand was now nearly as big as Gabriel’s head. This was just…weird. But, like Aaron said, it was still Gabriel. Somehow…

“Cwow!” Gabriel cried, a smile forming on his face as he jumped up into Scarecrow’s arms and lap.

“Ah, G-Gabe…” Scarecrow said, flustered by the contact. He just sat back against the wall as Gabriel once again curled into a ball in his lap, huddling against his chest.

“Safe!” Gabriel said, closing his eyes as he leaned against the stunned Scarecrow.

Not knowing what else to do, he placed his hand back on Gabriel’s head, stroking his friend’s hair softly as the child calmed down. Gabriel was just...so small now. So...innocent. More than usual. Scarecrow couldn't help but smile as he held his friend protectively in his arms.

"Cwow big bwother..." Gabriel muttered happily, huddling tighter against a speechless Scarecrow as the man's heart skipped a beat.

Gabriel had never called him... _brother_ before...

Gabriel softly hummed to himself as he hugged Scarecrow, his small hands clinging to his shirt tightly as he huddled close. His face was calm as his crying had stopped completely. Scarecrow stared with shocked eyes at the small child in his lap, his mind reeling. Did...Gabriel really see him as...his brother?

Scarecrow just let out a breath, taking in the silence as Gabriel finally relaxed in his arms. A question for another day. Scarecrow really, _really_ missed his Gabriel. He was his best friend, and…he didn’t want him stuck like this. He sighed as he stroked his friend’s hair, with Gabriel now seemingly asleep in his lap. Gabriel…really trusted Scarecrow. He genuinely trusted him and felt safe with him, even in this altered state of thinking. Scarecrow couldn’t say why, but…Gabriel did.

He had to get his Gabriel back. Scarecrow really needed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello babgab!
> 
> Ok, an explanation: This is going to be an "unfinished" series, meaning I am not going to resolve it until I deem the timing right. We just keep making babgab stories and I can't keep making deleted scenes, so for now, any babgab stuff will become a part of this series. I will update it over time.
> 
> Don't worry, Gabe is not stuck like this. The series will not go (in universe) longer than a few weeks at most.
> 
> Why does it take that long? Gotta read and find out...
> 
> THINGS:  
> -Big bro Crow and lil' bro Gabe is my emotional support dynamic.  
> -Yes, Gabe sees Crow as an older brother, tho he's never said it or maybe even never mentally put it into words. He doesn't know he feels that way. BabGab brain makes the feeling come to light.  
> -Eld is VERY tired. He is VERY tired of almost losing his Gab and he needs a break. Will I give him one? Ehhhhhh....  
> -Sorry not much Enty in this one or the next ahh I just have other dynamics I need to cover at the moment. Enty will get his turn with babgab, trust me...I have ideas...  
> -Elderane was not really going to maim Aaron. Probably. Maybe...  
> -Aaron is shookteth and is going to be emotional wreck for this because it was his device. But, he has to stay strong and hold the others together. Will he accomplish this? Gotta read...  
> -Gab doesn't get tech the poor lad. Scarecrow shoulda known better...


	12. Change Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel gets into something he shouldn't...

**Change Pt. 2**

_Featuring: Avantaisa protags_

Aaron grabbed all the machine parts off the kitchen table, carefully piling them in his arms.

“Aaron, this is taking much too long!” Elderane cried, leaning into the kitchen. Aaron just looked at him pleadingly.

“I know, I know! I just…I ran into complications, but I can still fix it, alright? Just trust me…” He said, pushing past Elderane. He skidded to a halt when the child Gabriel ran up to him, his eyes bright.

“Aawon! Shiny!” Gabriel cried, reaching for one of the mechanical pieces in his arms as Aaron staggered back.

“Gabriel, no, leave him alone!” Elderane cried, grabbing the child, holding him in his arms as Gabriel laughed.

“Aldoowane!” Gabriel cried happily as he tried to climb over the tired Elderane’s shoulder.

“His energy just…doesn’t go away…” Elderane muttered, following Aaron into the basement, the child clinging to his back.

“God, I’m never letting Crow make fun of how much Gabriel reads quietly again…” Aaron said, setting the pieces of the machine on his desk. He was close, he just needed time. Elderane sighed when Gabriel squirmed out of his grasp. The elf set the small child down, with Gabriel laughing the entire time.

“Shiny!” He yelled, running across the room to Aaron’s shelf where a few clocks sat. Gabriel stood there a moment, mesmerized by the shine and the ticking.

“Lord, he is never this high maintenance normally…” Elderane said, rubbing his eyes as he leaned against the cabinets behind Aaron.

“Crow knew what he was doing, the bastard…” Aaron muttered, cursing out Scarecrow for leaving the house with Enty, leaving Gabriel under his and Elderane’s care for the time being. At least the basement had carpet and nothing sharp or explosive in it. Probably…

“Just please tell me you can fix this soon; I am not sure how much more I can take…” Elderane said looking over Aaron’s shoulder as he worked. Aaron sighed, opening his journal.

“I promise, it’s reversable, I’ve done it before…” Aaron said, his eyes burning from his exhaustion. But he was not going to quit. Not on Gabriel and not when he was so close.

Elderane listened tiredly to Aaron as he worked, the two not noticing Gabriel as he began rummaging through an open box on the floor, pulling a larger device out as he stared at it with wide eyes.

“Aaron, just…I am sorry for being short, it has just been a taxing day…”

“I know, Eld, I’m sorry for getting you into this again…I swear on my life, I’ll fix him, ok?” Aaron said, placing a reassuring hand on Elderane’s. The elf let out a breath and smiled, nodding.

“Yes, I…I have faith in you…I always do…” He said, leaning back. “Now, where is-”

“GABRIEL!!!” Aaron cried, knocking his chair back as Elderane jumped back in shock, gripping his chest.

“Aaron, what?! He’s right…there…” Elderane said, his eyes widening when he saw Gabriel smiling as he began pressing buttons on a device he had set on the floor.

“Shiny!” Gabriel cried, hitting one last button before a strange light came from the device, the ringing from before returning.

“GABRIEL _NO!!!”_ Aaron cried, running forward to grab the child. Aaron skidded to the floor with a thump as the light and sound faded. He looked up with horrified vision to see that the child was gone. The machine was on the floor, but Gabriel was nowhere to be seen.

Aaron couldn’t move as he stared at the device. It was one of the dimensional ones.

Gabriel had just sent himself to another dimension.

“A-Aaron…” Elderane muttered, his voice small. Aaron looked up behind him with terrified eyes as he met Elderane’s panicked gaze.

“Eld, I-” Aaron started, but was cut off as Elderane let out a small gasp, the elf falling backwards to the ground, out cold. “Elderane!” Aaron yelled, running to his friend’s side. Elderane was unconscious, though his breathing was panicked. Aaron looked back behind him to the machine. It was an easy fix…he just had to use it to track Gabriel, and they’d get him back…

An easy fix… _right?_

Aaron shakily ran to the device, grabbing it as well as a screwdriver. His heart was pounding out of his chest as he sat beside the passed-out Elderane and began working on the machine. Gabriel was just sent to a random dimension all alone…they had to get to him _now,_ or…or he could…

Aaron wiped his eyes as tears began sliding down his cheeks. He had to focus. He could do this quickly. He just needed a few minutes. He just prayed with all he had that Gabriel was alright for _just_ a few minutes…

~

“What the _fuck_ is that?”

“It’s a child, Gabe.”

“I _know_ it’s a child, but why is it here?”

“Cute…”

“Yeah, Enty, he is…though he looks familiar…”

“Hey, he looks like your double, Gabe.” Aaron said, kneeling before the small child in front of them.

“Aawon?” The child said unsurely, reaching a small hand up to the confused man in front of him.

“He…knows me…” Aaron said in confusion, letting the giggling child hold his hand.

“He couldn’t be your double, could he?” Scarecrow said, kneeling down before the child who looked at him happily.

“Cwow!” He laughed, running forward. Scarecrow smiled and took the child into his arms, holding him tight.

“He likes me!”

“This is really fucking weird…” Gabriel said, edging closer. The child looked up to him, his smile fading.

“I think you’re confusing him…” Aaron said, noting the look of distress on the child’s face.

“A-Aawon…Cwow…” The child said, looking to each person in the room. “…Eny…” He muttered, pointing with a small hand to the flaming man hiding behind Aaron. The child looked back to Gabriel; his face distraught as he whimpered slightly.

“I think he is you, Gabe…he knows us, but not you…” Scarecrow muttered, holding the child tighter as he huddled against his chest.

“Woah, woah, he ain’t me! He’s that…Jesus-freak one.” He said, noting the small white robe the child was wearing. “And why the fuck is he confused anyway?! We all look the same!” He yelled.

“Where Aldooane?” The child cried brokenly as he looked around, a few tears escaping his eyes. Gabriel’s nerves spiked when he heard the child say that name. He took a few steps away and held his arms closer to himself as his mind reeled. He had been working to forget that lunatic.

“I…think you’re right…” Aaron said, eyeing his now uncomfortable friend. The alternate Gabriel was very close with his Elderane…but _his_ Gabriel…not so much.

“Sad…” Enty muttered, sitting beside Scarecrow as he held the distressed child Gabriel. The child looked up through tears to see Enty before him, a warm smile on his face.

“Eny!” The child cried happily, shimmying out of Scarecrow’s lap and into Enty’s. Enty smiled and held him tight, the child curling into a ball in his lap.

“He likes you, Enty!” Scarecrow said happily, his heart warm when he saw Enty smile. Enty looked up at him and nodded, his gaze returning to the tired child in his arms.

“So…is it actually the double, or is it another one completely?” Gabriel asked, confused by the entire situation.

“Hard to say…though it’s not likely he came from a dimension where we _all_ are kids…” Aaron said, sitting back. “So, it is probable _my_ double made something that did this to him…”

“You ever do that to me, I’ll set you on fire.” Gabriel warned, glaring at the nervous Aaron.

“Y-yes, don’t worry…I…will avoid this…”

“What do we do with him?” Scarecrow asked, petting the child’s head gently as he fell asleep in Enty’s lap.

“Keep him safe, I guess…until the others come to get him.”

“So…babysit?” Gabriel sneered, leaning against the wall.

“Well, we can’t just lock him somewhere all alone!”

“Why not?” Gabriel said, earning a glare from Aaron.

“Because one, he’s a child who could hurt himself, and two, if this _is_ your double, he’s a friend! And he would do the same for any of us…”

“Again, you do this to us, I _may_ kill you.”

“D-don’t worry…I won’t ever make… _this_ …” He said, motioning to the child who was now asleep in Enty’s lap, though he still looked distressed as he whimpered slightly, his small hands clinging to Enty’s shirt.

“Aww…I think he’s still upset…” Scarecrow said, standing. “Let me get my guitar! He liked my music…” He said, running up the stairs.

“I am not comfortable with any of this…” Gabriel said, a shiver going down his spine as he stared at the child. He just…couldn’t imagine that ever being him. This defied all nature and reason.

“It’s alright, Gabe…I…I am sure the others will be here soon to get him…”

“They better…or else.” Gabriel sneered, backing away. This wasn’t right. There was science, and…there was whatever the _fuck_ this was. And Gabriel didn’t trust it. Not one bit.

~

“Come on, come on, _come on….”_ Aaron urged; his mind frantic as he dropped his screwdriver for the fifth time. He was working as fast as he could, but he just couldn’t focus. Not when he knew Gabriel was all alone somewhere potentially dangerous. It had been about five minutes, and he was almost done. They would get Gabriel back.

“Agh…” Elderane muttered, throwing his hand to his head as he struggled to sit up.

“Eld? You with me?” Aaron asked, not breaking his gaze from the device. Elderane blinked and opened his eyes, looking around as reality crashed down on him like a tidal wave.

“G-GABE…HE…M-MACHINE…” Elderane yelled, scurrying back as he looked around in panic.

“Eld, just h-”

 _“GABRIEL!!!”_ Elderane sobbed brokenly, falling forward as he cried, his body trembling.

“Eld, come on!” Aaron cried, looking up from the machine at the sobbing elf beside him. “I’m almost done, just…get it together!” He yelled, going back to his work.

“HE’S GONE!!!” Elderane cried, his voice muffled against the carpet. “HE’S GONE _FOREVER!!!”_

“Eld, for the love of god, I CAN GET HIM BACK!” Aaron snapped, trying his best not to get frustrated with the hysterical elf. Elderane just let out a sob in return, his head hidden in his hands as he cried. Aaron pushed down his own tears and went back to the device, working as fast as he could.

Gabriel would be fine. He would be fine! He…he had to be…

~

“Jesus, just ask him!”

“He’s like, what, four? Would he know?”

“Aaron, have you ever _met_ a child?”

“Yeah…I think…”

“God, just let me do it…” Gabriel sneered, kneeling beside the child who was sitting on the floor by Scarecrow. The child looked up at him unsurely. Gabriel just glared back. “Kid. What’s your name?” He asked flatly, earning a brighter look from the child.

“Gabby!” He yelled, throwing his hands up. Gabriel just blinked.

“That is not what I was expecting.”

“It is you!” Scarecrow said with a smile.

“The hell you mean?”

“He said Gabby…you know, that’s a nickname for Gabriel!” Scarecrow said, his voice light with humor. Gabriel just stared at him.

“You all can _never_ call me that.” He sneered, earning a laugh from Enty. “I MEAN IT!”

“We won’t, we won’t, easy…” Aaron said, edging forward. The child looked up at him with wide eyes.

“So…this _is_ the other Gabriel then?”

“I Gabby!” The child laughed again with a smile.

“I think that’s a yes…” Scarecrow said. “Right, what do we do?”

“I don’t know…entertain him?” Aaron said, sitting back as he watched the child explore the living room.

“With what?” Gabriel sneered, standing. He let out a yelp when the child ran and clung to his leg, laughing. “Oi, get off yah pest!” He yelled, shaking his leg, though the child only laughed more.

“Shiny!” The child said brightly, reaching up for the chain hanging from Gabriel’s belt.

“Get him off!” Gabriel yelled again, pushing the hyper child down. The child fell to the floor with a thud, though his gaze was locked on Gabriel as he laughed.

“Here, kid, here…” Aaron said, handing a small pocket watch to the child who took it happily.

“Shiny! Shiny!” He yelled happily, turning the trinket over in his hands.

“Jesus, thanks…” Gabriel said, stepping back.

“He is certainly…peppy…” Aaron said, eying the child who was fiddling with the watch, laughing as he pressed the release button.

“He’s creeping _me_ out…” Gabriel said, shaking away a shiver. He watched in silence as the child looked around and saw Gabriel’s leather jacket on the couch behind him, reaching up and pulling it down. The jacket landed on the child’s head and covered him, though they could hear his laughter from beneath it.

“Huh.” Aaron said, just eying the child as he mumbled nonsense to himself from under the jacket.

“Cute.” Enty said again, a smile on his face.

“I’m with yah, Enty!” Scarecrow said happily, sliding over to the child. He pulled the jacket off the child’s head and set it back on the couch.

“Cwow found Gabby!” The child yelled jumping up. Scarecrow laughed as the child began running in circles around the living room.

“My, children are quite…a lot of work…” Aaron said tiredly.

“You’re telling me.” Gabriel said coldly. He stepped back when the child stopped his running and stood before him, curiosity in his eyes. “What do yah want now?” Gabriel said in annoyance, his arms crossed as he glared at the child.

“Up!” The little Gabriel yelled; his arms raised towards the adult Gabriel who just looked with pleading eyes to the others.

“He wants you to hold him, Gabe!” Scarecrow said brightly.

“I don’t _want_ to hold him.” Gabriel sneered, motioning towards the child. He flinched when he felt the child grab his hand. He looked down to see the child looking up at him with wide eyes.

“Come on, Gabe, he’s nice!” Scarecrow said with a laugh.

“I…uhh…” Gabriel muttered, not sure what to do.

“Up! Up!” The child yelled again, hopping in place.

“Gabe…” Aaron said softly. Gabriel just let out a grumble and reached down to grab the child, holding him awkwardly out in front of him.

“Am I _doing_ this right?” He growled coldly, the child laughing in his grasp.

“Hold him closer, Gabe, and don’t hurt him…” Aaron said as he sat on the couch. Gabriel grumbled again and pulled the child closer.

“I’m not gonna hurt the pest…” He said quietly, his face going red when the child wrapped his arms around his neck, hugging him tightly as he rested his head on his shoulder.

“I think he finally got used to you!” Scarecrow said, sitting on the couch beside Aaron.

“I…don’t know what to do now…” He said, holding the child close. He looked over and saw Enty still smirking from the floor. “Shut up, Enty! God…”

“But you’re doing so _good_ with him, _Gabby!”_ Scarecrow said, a sly smirk on his face. Gabriel’s eye twitched as he stared at him.

“YOU GET ONE OF THOSE, YOU F-”

“Quiet!” Enty said, pointing to the child. Gabriel looked down and saw the child was asleep in his arms.

“Why _me_ …” Gabriel sighed, leaning his head back.

“Nice…” Enty said, walking up to the adult Gabriel as he patted his back.

“Yeah! You’re nice, Gabe!” Scarecrow said. Gabriel just huffed and turned away from his roommates.

“I hate you all…” He growled, earning another smirk from Enty. Gabriel just sighed as he held the child. This was a weird day. He wanted it to be over.

~

“Eld, get a grip! I fixed it, come on!”

“HE’S GONE!!!”

“HE’S NOT GONE! Please, Eld, we need to go _now!”_ Aaron cried, sliding closer to the hysterical Elderane, his face still buried in the carpet. Elderane leaned up shakily and looked at Aaron with reddened eyes.

“You…what?”

“I fixed it! Let’s go!” Aaron yelled in annoyance, pulling himself to his feet. Elderane jumped up, his eyes crazed as he grabbed Aaron’s arm. “Just hold on…” Aaron said as he turned the machine on, the deafening ringing returning.

~

“My, Crow, he does seem to like you!” Aaron said with a laugh. Scarecrow was on the couch and the child Gabriel was climbing around him, positioning himself on his shoulders.

“He’s my friend!” Scarecrow said, reaching a hand up. The child laughed and draped himself over Scarecrow’s head, reaching down to grab his hand.

“I’m just glad he’s bothering you and not me…” Gabriel sneered, standing by the couch.

“But he liked you though!” Scarecrow said with a smile as the child lightly hit his face, muttering nonsense as he did so.

“He’s annoying…” Gabriel mumbled, looking away.

Gabriel heard a smirk and looked over to see Enty smiling slyly at him.

“Enty’s right, Gabriel! You were awfully good with him…” Aaron said lightly. Gabriel glared at him sharply.

“He just liked me because I’m him!” He yelled, pointing to the child still hanging over Scarecrow’s head, giggling as Scarecrow played with him.

“Sure…” Enty muttered with a small laugh.

“ENTY, I SWEAR TO G-”

Gabriel was cut off as loud ringing filled the air, with a bright light appearing before him. A familiar sight and sound. The group looked up when two figures appeared before the TV. Gabriel’s eyes widened and he took a step back.

“WHERE IS HE?!” Elderane cried, tears streaming from his eyes as he wavered on his feet.

“Eld, come on! Calm down!” Aaron urged, grabbing his hysterical friend’s arm.

“Ah! Aaron!”

Aaron looked up and smiled in relief when he saw…himself approach. He let out a nervous breath. There was their Gabriel sitting on the alternate Scarecrow’s shoulders, a look of confusion on the child’s face. Gabriel was fine. He just got sent to the alternate reality.

“My, I knew you had to be behind this…” The alternate Aaron said, walking towards the duo. Aaron smiled and took his hand in his own, shaking it.

“Good to see you all again…I am so sorry it was…through this…” He said, the two Aarons turning to see Elderane run towards Scarecrow who happily lifted the child off his head and handed him to the frantic Elderane.

“HE’S SAFE!” Elderane cried, hugging the child tightly.

“Aldoowane! Yay!” The little Gabriel cried, hugging Elderane back. “My elf!”

“Yes, I… _would_ like some answers…” The alternate Aaron said, facing his double.

“Ah…time manipulation device gone wrong…”

“So it…is my double?” Gabriel said softly, his dread building when Aaron nodded.

“I’m afraid so…” Aaron muttered. “It was an accident, of course, and I can turn him back, but…he messed with another one of my inventions and he sent himself here…”

“Oh, it was no trouble…he is…quite cute.” The alternate Aaron said with a smile. Aaron smiled back.

“Thank you so much for looking after him, I am so about this…”

“It’s ok! He was fun!” Scarecrow said brightly, letting the child hold his hand. Aaron looked over and saw Enty round the couch, amused by the child’s antics as well.

“You… _can_ turn him back?” Gabriel muttered. Aaron nodded again.

“Oh, yes…this has…happened before…” He said softly. “I just need time to fix the device.”

“G-good…” Gabriel said, turning away. He…couldn’t imagine that being him. And he hated seeing his double have to deal with it.

“Wait, I want to try something funny!” Scarecrow said, jumping off the couch. He ran forward and dragged the two Aarons closer. Gabriel was sitting in Elderane’s lap, a look of confusion on his face when the duo was placed in front of him.

“This is…going to confuse him more than before…” The alternate Aaron said, noticing the child’s distressed expression.

“He didn’t recognize us as us, it seems, but he thought we were _you_ guys…” Scarecrow said. “Though this may make him remember…”

“I am not sure if he is capable of comprehending your guy’s existence…” Aaron said, a smile forming on his face when the small Gabriel just keep looking between the two Aarons in silent confusion.

“What do you mean?” Gabriel asked, edging closer. Aaron shrugged.

“What happened was he was not turned back in time relative to his own timeline, but he was turned into a child version of his current self.”

“So?”

“So, he remembers us and knows us, but…he is stuck with a child’s mind…all the complex emotions and thoughts he had as an adult just…aren’t compatible.”

“So he knows us, but he is not aware of his current situation…” Elderane said softly, holding the confused Gabriel tighter.

“Think of it as trying to take the hard drive from a modern-day computer and trying to make it fit into a flip phone from a decade ago…” Aaron said. “The information is there, but it is filtered so much the complexity and detail just can’t reach the surface.”

“I…think I get it…” Scarecrow muttered.

“That’s why he’s confused right now…” Aaron said, motioning to the little Gabriel who was seemingly stuck staring between the two Aaron’s. “He knows ‘Aaron’, but he can’t comprehend the complexity of interdimensional travel.”

“Aawon…Aa…Aawon…” The little Gabriel muttered, his small hand pointing back and forth between the duo in front of him.

“Should…you guys really be messing with him?” Gabriel said, still unnerved.

“He won’t remember anything that happens to him while he’s in this state.” Aaron said, picking up the child off Elderane’s lap. The child looked at him in confusion then turned to the alternate Aaron, reaching out to him.

“Aawon…” He muttered as the alternate Aaron took him.

“Oh, this _is_ a confusing mess, then…” He said as he looked over the child. The child Gabriel looked him over for a minute then turned, reaching out towards the original Aaron again.

“Aawon!” He yelled as Aaron took him back.

“Right, good job, he’s confused.” Gabriel said, his arms still crossed as he watched his small double reach back yet again for the alternate Aaron who took him happily.

“Yes, so it seems…here, little one…” The alternate Aaron said as he placed the child back on Scarecrow’s lap. The child’s attention turned immedetly to Scarecrow and he began climbing over him again.

“Well, it…it is nice to see you all are doing well…” Aaron said with a small smile, looking the odd group over.

His own double looked much more put together, though his hair was still quite long. It wasn’t as long as Gabriel’s, but it was close, though he had it tied back. He was also now wearing a Victorian styled outfit similar to what Aaron himself would wear.

“Friends…” Enty said with bright eyes, meeting Aaron’s gaze. Enty was smiling as he picked up the child, his manner relaxed. He was laughing. That was good. He had the blue jacket on from before, and he looked like he was finally feeling more comfortable with his emotions, though he was still quiet. But he was more expressive than before.

Scarecrow looked much livelier and much happier. His cuts and bruises from before had faded, and he was smiling and laughing along with Enty. He looked relaxed and all the fear he had before was gone. He looked confident, both in himself and his friends.

Aaron turned and eyed Gabriel. The man was dressed like his Scarecrow, with tight black pants and some black band t-shirt. His hair was the same as their Gabriel’s, though it was more unkempt. He still looked reserved, but he looked more comfortable with himself. He was hanging close to the group and while he wasn’t smiling or laughing, he kept his eyes on the activity. Aaron had known his Scarecrow long enough to read eyes well, and he could see a liveliness in Gabriel’s, even if he didn’t show it. He looked like he was happy to be here. That he knew he was part of the family. That he was wanted.

Aaron took in the house around them as well. The house was much cleaner, the walls were repaired, and while the décor and atmosphere was different…it still felt like a home. Aaron smiled proudly. He was happy for these guys. They had finally figured things out.

Elderane let out a breath and stood, leaving the child Gabriel with the alternate Scarecrow. He…seemed really nice. He hadn’t gotten to meet the other doubles yet before now. Elderane took a few steps away from the commotion to calm his racing mind. His Gabriel was safe. He was safe.

“H-hey, uh…”

Elderane spun around, his heart jumping a bit when he saw the alternate Gabriel behind him, his eyes not looking up. Elderane took a step back, his hand unknowingly touching his collar as memories he didn’t necessarily want to think about again came up. He heard the double take in a breath.

“Look, I…I didn’t get to…agh…” He grumbled, not meeting Elderane’s gaze. Elderane could see tears in the double’s eyes. “I had told your Aaron to…to tell you I’m…I’m sorry, and…I know I don’t deserve forgiveness for what I did…” He continued, with Elderane just staring at him in silence. “But I…I just want you to know I really…I _really_ am sorry…” He muttered, finally looking up to meet Elderane’s eyes. “I was just…so _angry_ at my Elderane, and…and I wasn’t thinking and…I hurt you.”

“Gabe, I…”

“I honest to god am sorry…and it killed me that I never got to tell you in person…so…yeah…” He muttered, turning away. He stopped and flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was a familiar hand, but…it was gentle.

“Gabriel, I…I forgive you…” Elderane said, earning a shocked look from the double. “It was… _bad,_ yes, but…you seem to have figured things out, and…I’m happy for you.” Elderane said with a smile. Gabriel just stared at him with wide eyes. He had never seen his Elderane look at him so sincerely.

“I…I don’t…”

“Look, let’s just…start over, alright?” Elderane said, pulling his hand back. Gabriel paused a moment then nodded, wiping his eyes.

“I’d…I’d like that…”

Elderane smiled and turned to walk away, though this time he felt the double’s hand on his shoulder.

“Why…”

“Just…make sure he gets turned back…please…” Gabriel said quietly, eying the hyper child once again climbing on Scarecrow’s head. Gabriel really hated the thought. To have everything you were taken away in such a way…to forget everything, and have your mind altered against your will. He hated it. “He…he doesn’t know how lucky he is to have you, so…make sure you get him back so you can let him know…”

Elderane stared speechless at the double who once again looked away. Before he could respond, the double sighed and walked past him, going back to leaning against the wall by the couch, his gaze locked on his friends. Elderane blinked and shook his head.

He would get his Gabriel back. He would. No matter what it takes.

“Right, as much as I’d love to catch up more, I really want to get home and continue working on the device…” Aaron said, stepping back. Gabriel was sitting Scarecrow’s lap, his eyes wide in curiosity.

“We understand…but you know you all are welcome here any time…” The alternate Aaron said, meeting the original Aaron by the TV.

“Oh, and you as well. I will keep the device used to connect our worlds, so if you all ever want to come over as well, you are certainly welcome.” Aaron said with a smile.

“Two Aawon!”

The Aarons looked and saw Gabriel smiling at them, his hand pointing towards them.

“Very good!” Scarecrow said, holding the child tighter as the little Gabriel laughed. Aaron shook his head with a smile. Even if he was stressful…the little Gabriel was cute.

“Friend…” Enty muttered, leaning over the back of the couch. The child smiled and climbed up Scarecrow’s shoulder to reach him. Enty held him in his arms and took a step back.

“Eny! Eny fwend!” The child laughed, hugging Enty tighter. The alternate Gabriel couldn’t stop a smile from forming on his face when he saw some tears form in Enty’s eyes as he smiled, the child in his arms. Enty really didn’t cry much…he must be genuinely happy.

“Right, we’d love to visit…when everything is figured out with your friend, of course…” Aaron said, motioning for Enty to bring the child to them. Aaron smiled as Elderane stood and got closer, taking the child into his arms.

“He will be himself soon…” Elderane said, holding Gabriel tightly. He would be. Elderane refused to accept that he wouldn’t.

“Do let us know he’s alright…” The alternate Aaron said as he backed away, standing by his three friends before the couch.

“Yeah! I’d like to see him again…” Scarecrow said. That Gabriel… _was_ technically his first friend. Scarecrow liked the child version of him, but he did want him to be himself again. He really liked the alternate Gabriel.

“We will keep in touch, I promise…” Aaron said, pulling the device out.

“It was nice meeting you, alternate Elderane!” Scarecrow said, earning a smile from the elf.

“Nice to meet you all as well…” He said, meeting the alternate Gabriel’s gaze. “And…thank you for taking care of him…” He said, holding the little Gabriel tighter.

“Of course, anything for you guys.” The alternate Aaron said. Aaron and Elderane smiled, with Elderane putting his arm around Aaron’s.

“Right…it’s best we head home before Scarecrow and Enty find out we left…” Aaron said, messing with some buttons on the device.

“Oh, Scarecrow would be displeased…” Elderane muttered. He looked down as Gabriel turned himself around, eying the doubles.

“Bye Gabby!” The little Gabriel yelled with a smile, waving to the alternate Gabriel whose eyes widened. Enty snickered when he saw Gabriel’s face get red, the man turning away. Scarecrow smiled as well, patting his friend’s back as Gabriel shook in place, his face hidden.

Aaron laughed to himself as he hit the final button, the ringing and light from before returning, engulfing their senses.

~

Elderane held Gabriel close to him, covering the child’s head with his arm to block out the light and sound as solid ground appeared beneath his feet. He quickly regained balance, shaking his head as the light and ringing faded. The elf looked down and saw Gabriel had his eyes squeezed shut, his face buried in Elderane’s shoulder as he whimpered a bit.

“My child, we’re home…” Elderane whispered, causing Gabriel to open his eyes and look up at him.

“My elf!”

Elderane laughed as Gabriel reached up and wrapped his arms around his neck, holding him tight as he rested his head down in his shoulder. Elderane looked over and saw Aaron beside him, the man blinking the bright light away as he looked beside him.

“Right…we m-”

“WHAT THE FUCK GUYS.”

Aaron and Elderane jumped at Scarecrow’s shout, the man standing in the kitchen doorway, anger in his eyes. Aaron’s face paled as he locked eyes with the man.

“I-I, uh…” Aaron started, words eluding him as his mind reeled.

“I am…going to put Gabriel in bed…” Elderane said quickly, running around the couch and towards the stairs, out of sight. Aaron stood in fear by the TV, with Scarecrow’s piercing gaze looking right through him.

“Aaron…” He growled, stepping closer. Aaron looked around him rapidly and made a dash for the basement door. He quickly slammed it shut behind him, holding it closed. “Aaron! Open the door! What the _fuck_ did you do?! Where were you?!”

Aaron held the door tight as Scarecrow banged on the other side. He had to fix Gabriel. And _soon._

“AARON!” Scarecrow screamed, the banging getting louder. Aaron just held the door tighter, praying Scarecrow didn’t get mad enough he punched through it. Aaron closed his eyes and took in a breath, the sounds of the world fading.

Today was much too scary. Gabriel was becoming more and more hyper, getting into more trouble. They had to be careful. He had to get their Gabriel back before something _bad_ happens. Aaron didn’t know what he’d do if he let Gabriel get hurt like this. He would never be able to forgive himself.

 _“GAH!”_ Aaron screamed, dodging to the side as Scarecrow’s fist broke through the door beside his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is Aaron abuse series, isn't it? Poor lad.
> 
> HELLO WELCOME BACK ALTERNATE DIMENSION PROTAGS
> 
> I missed them so much...
> 
> Turns out they make good babysitters.
> 
> THINGS:  
> -AD Gabe is more reserved then OG Scarecrow is by a significant degree. He doesn't really smile or laugh much yet, but he does like to be in the same room as his friends (he does consider them his friends at this point).  
> -He's just grumpy, but hanging around the others should lighten him up over time.  
> -He hates being called Gabby. Only because it's a "silly" nickname and he sees himself as more serious.  
> -AD Enty is getting better, and he is becoming more expressive. He still doesn't talk much (hm...wonder why...) but the others have gotten really good at reading him. So he can just make a small noise and a face and the others will get a full sentence outta that. They love their Enty.  
> -AD Aaron is probably the one now closest to his counterpart. He really got himself together, though he still sleeps a lot. But it's alight, because if there's trouble, usually AD Gabriel is the one to get them out of it.  
> -AD Aaron with longer hair and a ponytail type thing. Imagine pls. (That design I credit to elantasia @insta! Check em out if you haven't! My Enty design is also based on theirs!)  
> -AD Scarecrow is the one keeping things in order though. He went from the most abused to the one taking charge. He loves his friends now and works to keep things running smoothly.  
> -This series is going to give OG Aaron and Elderane gray hair. They just want their Gabe back but he is making it difficult.  
> -AD Gabe did feel horrible, and a part of him bein grumpy was the unresolved guilt of what happened during Anywhere. He should loosen up a bit now.  
> -Don't worry, this won't be the last we see of the AD fellas...I love them too much to leave them alone...


	13. Change Pt. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (See Angst prompts for Ch. 3)
> 
> It's Scarecrow's day to watch over Gabriel, and he makes sure to make the most of it.

**Change Pt. 4**

_Featuring: Avantasia protags_

_(See angst prompts for Ch. 3)_

“Right, let’s get him to bed…” Aaron said, unlocking the door, his anxieties finally easing as they entered their home. Elderane followed him inside, the child Gabriel asleep in his arms as he carefully walked in.

“Eld, I think you need to go to bed too…” Scarecrow said, eying the horridly tired look in the elf’s eyes. Elderane let out a sigh and eyed the child asleep in his arms, a bandage still wrapped around his head and arm, and a cast still on his wrist. He was better and was healing, but…

“I…I know, but I…I can’t…”

“Eld…” Aaron said, walking slowly up to the tired elf. “You have done so much, alright? He’s home now, and he’s safe. We’re going to do better to take care of him, but you need to rest as well…you’re no help to him in this state…” Aaron said, his hand on Elderane’s back. The elf took in a breath and nodded, his physical and mental exhaustion becoming more and more apparent.

“V-very well…” He said, holding the child tighter. Gabriel had slept the entire way home from the hospital which was good. The more sleep he got, the faster he would heal.

“Eld, go put him in bed then come back for just a minute, I just have some things to go over with everyone.” Aaron said, backing away from Elderane. The elf nodded once more and walked away, the child in his arms not stirring.

Elderane walked up the stairs, his mind too tired to even feel stress anymore. He carefully opened Gabriel’s door, happy when he saw the peaceful room just as they had left it. Sunlight was shining through the white curtains and the smell of the candles and old books was much more favorable over the hospital room atmosphere.

He smiled and carefully pulled Gabriel away, the child sleeping soundly. He gently placed him in the bed and pulled his guitar-patterned fleece blanket up higher over him. Elderane reached down and moved some of the long strands of Gabriel’s hair out of his face, the child not stirring. He was at peace.

Taking in and releasing a breath, Elderane reached into his backpack and pulled out the stuffed tiger that Enty had gifted Gabriel. He placed it under the child’s arm and leaned down, placing a small kiss on his friend’s forehead. He stepped back and felt a small laugh escape him when he saw the child smile and pull the tiger closer, the child remaing asleep.

Elderane nodded and stepped back, walking out the door and down the stairs. He saw the others in the living room, the bunch of them looking tired as well. Elderane removed his backpack of supplies and sat on the couch beside Aaron, the man looking lost in thought.

“Right…” Aaron said, and Elderane could immediately tell he was holding back tears. “Until…until I finish the machine, we need to change how we’re watching him…” He said eying the others. “With how hyper he is getting, he needs someone watching him at all times…we will just have to rotate who does what, and the more people watching him the better.”

“So, like we were doing before?” Enty asked, knowing they had tried this. Aaron nodded.

“Yes, but…this time with more emphasis on the ‘watch’ part. He can’t be allowed to run off again, and…and…” Aaron said, his voice cracking. The group let him breath a minute as he regained his composure. “We just have to make sure he is always with someone and he isn’t anywhere dangerous. Basement is off limits for good.” He said, pointing to the door. “As is anywhere outside the house aside from the back yard, and the gate has to be closed at all times.” He said firmly.

“We can’t keep him confined to the house, Aaron…he’ll lose it.” Scarecrow said, knowing how hyper the child was. Aaron sighed and shook his head.

“We can’t risk anything where he can escape, Crow, so…no more park.” Aaron said, though he paused as an idea came to him. “Unless we get him one of those harnesses or leashes…”

“I have a leash-”

 _“No,_ Crow…” Aaron said quickly, putting his hand up. Scarecrow smiled to himself and looked away. Aaron took in a breath. “Right, if we can get one of those child backpacks with the leash, he can leave, but until then he is staying in the house. He needs rest anyway.”

“You said he was healing quickly?” Elderane said, eying Aaron.

“Yes, but…he is still injured and too much activity could have negative lasting effects. For the next few days, he needs to stay inside and keep any strenuous activity to a minimum.” Aaron said firmly. “He will be restless, but it can’t be helped. He needs to heal as quickly as possible.”

“So…what do we do, then?” Scarecrow asked. Aaron looked up and scanned the group.

“We start by having someone get supplies…we are running out of things he can eat, and we could stand to get a few things from the store to make this easier for us. Enty, you and I can go today and just get that out of the way.”

“What about me?” Elderane said. Aaron just stared at him. The elf’s eyes were tired.

“Eld, you are going to sleep. Nothing else.” Aaron commanded.

“But-”

“But nothing. You are close to burning out, and you may get sick from this strain. You are spending today and tomorrow resting. No arguing.” He said, earing a sad look from Elderane.

“Ah…” Elderane muttered, looking away.

“You can have my room for the time being, I’ll be staying in the basement.”

“Wait, if you two are going out, and he’s crashing, what about me then?” Scarecrow asked, glaring at Aaron.

“You have first watch, Crow.”

“Agh, _Aaron_ …” Scarecrow whined, looking up.

“You are better with him than you think, you know.” Aaron said reassuringly. “He’s still tired from the hospital, so he should be easier to manage. He should even sleep the rest of the day today from the medication.” Aaron said as Scarecrow crossed his arms.

“But tomorrow…”

“Tomorrow you will have to entertain him.” Aaron said, earning another whine from Scarecrow.  
Enty will take the next day, then I the next and then Elderane.”

“It’s really gonna take you this long to fix him?!” Scarecrow yelled in annoyance. Aaron reluctantly nodded.

“I had to start from scratch, and I am being extra cautious. I will not risk losing him due to a mechanical error on my end.” Aaron said as Scarecrow looked away. “Look, guys…” He muttered as he removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes, the group all looking at him tiredly. “We will get him back. I promise, but you all must be flexible and cooperative. I want him back as much as you all do, but…but I just _cannot_ risk losing him...” Aaron said, a few tears leaving his eyes. He looked down when he felt Elderane place his hand on his back.

“We trust you, Aaron…and please, do not burn yourself up, either…” The elf said, earning a nod from Aaron.

“I…oh, thank you guys, I’m just…” He paused, his tears not stopping. “I’m just so _sorry_ …”

“Now, we’ve been over this clockwork.” Scarecrow said firmly. “Enty here is literally the only one not at fault.” He said, pointing to the flaming man. “We all, save Enty, fucked up, so do _not_ carry this entire thing by yourself, ok?” Scarecrow commanded. Aaron nodded as he wiped away more tears.

“Aaron…before you go work more, why don’t you take a nap first?” Elderane said softly. “Please?”

Aaron looked at the others and couldn’t help but smile when he saw Scarecrow give him a threatening look.

“Oh, yes, alright…I…I shall…thank you all for your help…Scarecrow, you’re in charge of Gabe…” Aaron said, pulling himself to his feet as he tiredly staggered to the basement. Elderane stood as well.

“I suppose I am not given a choice either…” He said, walking towards the stairs, though he paused before he got too far. “Oh, and Scarecrow?”

“Hm?”

“Do take care of him, please…” Elderane muttered sadly, turning away as he vanished up the stairs, leaving Enty and Scarecrow in the living room.

“Scarecrow? You alright?” Enty asked, noticing a rare broken look in Scarecrow’s eyes. The man looked up to him and shook his head.

“No, but…but I’m used to it…”

“Crow…” Enty said walking closer.

“I’m fine, Enty, just…I just…”

“You miss him?” Enty said softly, sitting beside Scarecrow. The man gave a small laugh and nodded, doing his best to repress tears.

“More than…more than I have the courage to say out loud…” He said as he shook his head.

“He’ll be ok! Aaron will fix it. He always does.” Enty said with a smile. Scarecrow looked up and smiled himself, the brightness in Enty’s eyes infectious.

“I know, Enty…I know…”

“Why don’t you just try to have fun with him?” Enty said. Scarecrow blinked.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, play with him! Like I did! He’s cute!”

“He’s chaotic…”

“So are you!”

“Well, _someone’s_ asking for it…” Scarecrow said with a small smile, eying Enty who laughed.

“Maybe just try to have fun with him as he is…we will get Gabriel back in time, so it’s no use being sad now! He’s ok and he won’t be hurt anymore soon!”

“Your optimism is obnoxious.” Scarecrow said with a laugh. Enty just shrugged.

“I mean…everyone has been so sad, and…I just want to help you all not be…”

“Well…it’s working.” Scarecrow said, lightly hitting Enty’s shoulder. He took in a breath and eyed the stairs. “Alright, flames, alright. I’ll try to entertain the little demon.” He said, pulling himself to his feet.

“Cool! I think a little fun may help everyone feel better.” He said, pulling himself to his teet. “And I think I’ll go make sure Aaron is actually sleeping…” Enty said, sneaking away to the basement. Scarecrow was alone. He shook his head and walked upstairs, carefully pushing open Gabriel’s door.

He saw the child asleep in the bed, and Scarecrow felt a pang of emotion hit his heart when he saw the fleece blanket he had bought for Gabriel years ago placed over the child. Scarecrow had to admit…he _was_ cute. Sighing, Scarecrow rounded the bed and sat on the edge, looking his small friend over.

Maybe Enty was right about this whole thing. Being upset the entire time would only lower the already rough levels of hope in the house. Gabriel was the one always looking for the silver lining, and without him…things were rough. Scarecrow smiled to himself. Enty… _was_ right. There was no point in constantly being negative now.

Gabriel was alright and Aaron was going to fix him soon. Scarecrow knew he would. Things would be back to normal soon, and he knew it. Placing a hand on Gabriel’s head, Scarecrow took in and released a slow breath, his anxiety fading. Channeling some of Gabriel’s endless faith, he smiled, feeling his mind find peace.

Things were going to be ok, so he might as well have fun in the meantime.

As Scarecrow sat there, something he hadn’t noticed caught his eye. His curiosity getting the better of him, Scarecrow took his hand off Gabriel’s head and moved it to his left arm, gently lifting his sleeve. He felt his heart drop when he saw the child had a familiar discolored burn scar running up the length of his arm from his wrist to his shoulder.

Even if Gabriel was turned into a child, his scars still followed him.

His mind blanking, Scarecrow gently stroked the scar, his memories of that horrid day flashing before his eyes once more. Gabriel…had been through so much pain. He has dealt with so much agony in his life, and…and Scarecrow _hated_ it. Gabriel was one of the kindest and sweetest people he knew, and he didn’t deserve any of that torture.

As he eyed the scar, he could still hear Gabriel’s broken screams from that day in his mind. Scarecrow sighed. At least Gabriel wouldn’t remember _this_ particular nightmare. They may have to tell him that it happened, but…at least he wouldn’t remember it. Scarecrow looked over the sleeping child, his face peaceful.

Scarecrow had promised a long time ago that he’d protect Gabriel. He glanced down at the scar. Scarecrow…hadn’t done a good job. But that doesn’t mean he’d stop trying. Gabriel… _was_ like a little brother to him and Scarecrow was going to make sure that he was ok. That he was loved.

Even in this state, Gabriel was still Gabriel, and Scarecrow would take care of him, no matter the cost. Pushing his anxieties aside, Scarecrow released a breath, smiling as he pulled his hand away from the sleeping child. He looked him over, pondering all the ways he could make this nightmare more enjoyable for his friend.

Aaron had a point…Scarecrow may not be good with kids, but…he was good with Gabriel. He’d make sure the kid enjoyed himself in this state until he was back to normal. No more pain. No more suffering. No more scars. Scarecrow smiled, pondering Enty’s words. Maybe…he _could_ have fun with this…

~

“Where the fuck did he even learn to draw…” Scarecrow muttered to himself, flipping through Gabriel’s special journal. It was the one he had given his friend when they first met, and Gabriel had filled it with stories of his past and drawings of his friends.

Scarecrow sighed as he paused on one of the first pages where his own handwriting was. A song he still had to finish. Below the old lyrics was a drawing Scarecrow had found before. It was a detailed drawing of him and Gabriel, both smiling beside each other. Both happy. Scarecrow turned and eyed the sleeping child behind him. Gabriel really looked up to him, huh…

With a sigh, he kept flipping through the worn pages. He saw several drawings of Elderane, as well as more of Scarecrow, Aaron, and Enty. He also saw a few sketches of a girl that he had never met. Scarecrow didn’t know it at the time when he first saw these, but now he knew this was Gabriel’s sister, Anna.

Scarecrow eyed the drawing of the girl, her eyes bright as she smiled warmly. Gabriel must miss her, surely…it must be hard being dimensions away from someone you love. Scarecrow…never had siblings that loved him, but…he did have Gabriel now.

Knowing he’d have to ask Gabriel about his sister later, Scarecrow kept flipping through the pages, a smile on his face every time he saw a drawing of them. Gabriel really loved these misfits he lived with. He really cared about all of them. Scarecrow smiled to himself, doing his best to keep his tears down when he saw each drawing of his friends. Gabriel was _really_ a good artist.

Scarecrow paused and thought to himself as he skimmed the worn pages, each drawing better than the last. Maybe Gabriel could design an album cover for him someday…

“Cwow…?”

Scarecrow’s heart skipped as a small voice startled him from behind. He turned and saw the child Gabriel slowly sitting up, rubbing his eyes with a small yawn.

“Hey, ya little rascal…how ya feelin’?” Scarecrow said quietly, closing the journal as he set it on the bedside table. The small Gabriel looked at him tiredly and Scarecrow saw the child’s hand move to his chest.

“Hurty…” He muttered, his voice small. Scarecrow sighed as he stood and sat on the edge of the bed by the child. His ribs were no longer fully broken, but they would still be sore for a bit.

“Ah, you’re alright, ok?” Scarecrow said warmly, doing his best to try and ease the child. “It’ll go away soon.”

“Cwow make hurty go away?” Gabriel asked, leaning forward with pleading eyes. Scarecrow felt something in his heart tighten as he stared at his friend. He gave a small smile and nodded.

“Sure, Gabe…I can try…” He said, earning a smile from Gabriel.

The child let out a small whimper and reached his arms out towards Scarecrow who swallowed his pride down and reached back, the child climbing into his arms and curling up. Scarecrow laughed as Gabriel snuggled up to him, hiding his face in his chest.

“That better, you mini time capsule?” Scarecrow said, edging back against the bed headboard as he held Gabriel close.

“Ye!” Gabriel said, getting himself comfortable in Scarecrow’s lap. “Hurty gone…” He whispered softly. Scarecrow sighed and shook his head, grabbing the fleece blanket and putting it over the child who closed his eyes. Gabriel was in his lap, his breathing quiet as he went back to sleep.

Scarecrow looked beside him at the clock. It was late now. He looked down to the child now sleeping soundly in his arms. Scarecrow was stuck. Leaning his head back against the wall, Scarecrow closed his own eyes, holding his friend closer. There was no point in being prideful anymore. If he wanted to entertain Gabriel and comfort him, he’d have to take some edge away from himself. He’d have to be softer…like Gabriel is normally.

Scarecrow felt a laugh escape him. Maybe he _could_ stand to be more like Gabriel. Always optimistic and always kind. Scarecrow looked down at Gabriel as he slept in his arms. Gabriel…was a better man than Scarecrow could ever hope to be. Scarecrow knew Gabriel looked up to him, but…maybe it should be the other way around. Maybe…he should be the one looking up to Gabriel.

He smiled and nodded to himself, closing his eyes as he sat on the bed against the headboard. Letting out a breath, he felt himself relax, happy that they were home and done with the hospital. Happy Gabriel was alive. Happy he was safe. Happy…he’d be himself soon.

Scarecrow really needed him.

~

“Alright, come on…”

“Cwow yay!”

“Gabriel, please…” Scarecrow muttered, holding a squirming Gabriel in his arms as he went back upstairs towards Gabriel’s room. He entered and closed the door, setting the child on the bed as Scarecrow caught his breath. He had gotten breakfast, now he just had to keep the kid busy for the day.

Scarecrow laughed when Gabriel began climbing through the blankets on the bed, hiding under them and giggling to himself.

“Now Gabe, be careful, ok? You’re still hurt…” Scarecrow said cautiously, though he knew Gabriel wouldn’t understand. The child stopped his moving as he hid under the fleece blanket, though Scarecrow could still hear his laughing.

Scarecrow leaned forward and pulled the blanket off the child, with Gabriel laughing harder as he did so.

“Cwow!” Gabriel yelled, pointing up to Scarecrow.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s me.” He said, sitting on the bed. Gabriel laughed and stood up, climbing up Scarecrow onto his shoulders. “Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Scarecrow said, putting a hand up to steady the child.

“Scawy Cwow!” Gabriel cried, hitting Scarecrow’s face lightly.

“Alright, hey, cut that out…” Scarecrow said with a laugh. He reached up and grabbed the small child, pulling him off his shoulders and setting him on the soft bed. Gabriel just sat on the fleece blanket and gave a small yawn, causing Scarecrow to laugh. “What, you tired already?” Scarecrow teased. Gabriel smiled and grabbed the fleece blanket, pulling it over himself.

“Sof!” He said happily, curling into a ball under the blanket. Scarecrow rolled his eyes. Gabriel’s energy was a bit more drained from being in the hospital, so that was good as he was now a bit easier to manage. Scarecrow eyed the child under the blanket and smiled, and idea coming to him.

“Alright, so you’re _tired_ huh?” Scarecrow said slyly, seeing the slightly dazed look in the child’s eyes.

“Sleeby!” Gabriel said, sitting up as he held the blanket close. Scarecrow grinned and reached forward, wrapping the blanket tighter around the giggling child, tucking his arms and legs inside as he layered the blanket around him.

“This comfy enough for ya?” Scarecrow said lightly, securing the blanket around his friend. Gabriel just laughed as Scarecrow picked him up, eying his work. He had wrapped the child in the blanket, his arms and legs inside it so only his head was visible as it stuck out of the blanket wrapping. He had him wrapped like an actual baby.

“Ye!” Gabriel said lightly. Scarecrow grinned, though his attention was grabbed by the sound of the door opening.

“Hi, Crow, I was just checking in and, uh…” Aaron said, pausing when he saw Scarecrow holding the small Gabriel out in front of him.

“Aaron. I made a burrito baby.” Scarecrow said slyly, holding the wrapped-up Gabriel out towards Aaron. The scientist just blinked.

“Aawon!” Gabriel said happily, though he couldn’t move with how he was secured inside the blanket. Aaron took in a tired breath.

“Right…I need more sleep…” He muttered, walking out the door as Scarecrow laughed.

“He was impressed.” Scarecrow said towards Gabriel, holding the child closer.

“Sleeby…” Gabriel muttered, relaxing in Scarecrow’s grasp as he snuggled into the blanket.

“Ah, alright, why don’t we-”

“Hey Crow! Whatchu doing?” Enty said, leaning into the doorway. Scarecrow smiled.

“I made a burrito baby.”

“Wh-what?”

“Burrito baby.” Scarecrow said flatly, holding the sleepy Gabriel out. Enty’s eyes widened as he walked into the room, a smile on his face.

“AH! He’s so _cute!”_ Enty said brightly, meeting Gabriel’s gaze.

“Hi Eny!” Gabriel said; his eyes brightening when Enty approached.

“Hi baby Gabby!” Enty said, ruffling the child’s hair as he giggled. Enty smiled and glared at Scarecrow, the man rolling his eyes as he looked away. “Told you fun would help!” Enty said happily.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Scarecrow said, pulling himself to his feet as he held Gabriel in his arms. “Right, is Elderane awake?”

“Yeah, he’s downstairs!” Enty said, following Scarecrow out. The man laughed.

“Cool. He will totally like this.” Scarecrow said, going down the stairs and into the kitchen where he saw the elf.

“Oi, pointy.” Scarecrow said as he approached. Elderane turned and Scarecrow could still see a tired look in his eyes.

“Y-yeah?”

“Made a baby burrito.” Scarecrow said with a grin. Elderane just glared at him in confusion.

“What is a…‘bewri-do’?” Elderane said. Scarecrow blinked a moment than shook his head, holding the child out in front of him.

“This.” He said, reveling in the sight of Elderane’s eyes widening.

“Hi Aldoowane!” Gabriel said brightly. Scarecrow saw a few tears form in Elderane’s eyes.

“B-beautiful…” Elderane said with a smile, placing his hand on Gabriel’s head.

“He’s cute!” Enty said with a laugh. Elderane just nodded.

“Yeah…he is…” He said, lowering his hand when he saw the child’s eyes close. “I think he’s tired, Crow…”

“Yeah, I was just gonna let him take a nap…” He said, pulling Gabriel closer.

“I…will do the same…” Elderane said with a nod, vanishing out the kitchen door. Scarecrow followed and went back to Gabriel’s room, pulling the door closed.

Looking down. Scarecrow saw Gabriel was fast asleep as he laid there wrapped in the blanket, making him look even younger than before. Even smaller. Scarecrow shook his head and climbed into the bed, the child laying in the crook of his arm as he leaned against the headboard.

He laughed to himself as he took in the sight.

“Heh…baby burrito…” He muttered, holding Gabriel closer. Scarecrow took in and released a breath as he leaned his own head back and closed his eyes. Things…were going great.

~

“Hungey!”

“Gabe, Aaron didn’t get back from the store yet, you need to wait just a bit…” Scarecrow said, eying the child sitting at the kitchen table. Gabriel looked pleadingly towards Scarecrow.

“Hungey! Wan foob!” He cried, causing Scarecrow to let out a groan.

“Gabe, we don’t have anything you can eat!”

“Dat!” Gabriel yelled, pointing to a box on the table.

“Gabe no, that was my other cheeseburger I had, you…you have those baby teeth things, you can’t eat that!” Scarecrow said, keeling before the child as he eyed his mouth. It was unfortunate for Gabriel, though it seemed he just wasn’t able to eat the same adult food that he used to. Gabriel let out a whine and Scarecrow could see some tears forming in his eyes.

“Hungey…” Gabriel muttered sadly, looking towards the box. Scarecrow eyed it and sighed, though he sat up when an idea came to him. He glanced behind him and eyed their kitchen appliances.

~

Aaron walked into the house tiredly, a few bags in his hands. Elderane was still getting some stuff from the car, as they had been out shopping. Aaron rounded the corner and entered the kitchen, though he paused when a loud sound startled him. He walked into the kitchen and saw Gabriel sitting at the kitchen table on top of a few pillows, and he saw Scarecrow by the counter, the man standing before the blender.

“Crow, what in the lord’s name are you blending?” Aaron said, setting his bags down as Scarecrow turned and switched the machine off. Aaron eyed it. Whatever was inside it did not look…particularly good.

“It’s for the kid. Don’t judge.” He said, grabbing a bowl from the cabinets. Aaron just stared at him; his eyes jaded.

“And what is it?” Aaron said flatly as Scarecrow poured the…somewhat gross looking blended food into a bowl. Scarecrow just paused and let out a sigh.

“Cheeseburger.” He said quietly, though he smiled when he heard Aaron sputter behind him.

“Wh-what?! What the hell are you…Crow, good lord, that’s… _Crow!”_ Aaron said in frustration, marching up to his friend.

“He wanted it, ok?”

“ChEeseborgor!” The child Gabriel cried, throwing his hands up as Aaron stared at him with a tired expression. The scientist let out a sigh and shook his head.

“I think…you may be spoiling him…”

“Hey, he’s the one stuck in this fucked up scenario! Least we can do is make it enjoyable for him!” Scarecrow said, setting the bowl on the table before the excited Gabriel.

“Crow, that is…really not natural.” Aaron said, pinching the bridge of his nose as Scarecrow grabbed a small spoon and sat beside Gabriel at the table.

“It’s fine! It won’t hurt him.” Scarecrow said, getting a spoonful of the mush and giving it to Gabriel, who ate it happily.

“Right. This is disturbing. I’m going to walk away now.” Aaron said, exiting the kitchen towards the basement. Scarecrow just shrugged and kept feeding his friend the blended food.

“It’s probably a good thing you won’t remember this…” Scarecrow said, eying the small child as he ate another spoonful. “I don’t think you’d appreciate my genius with this as an adult.”

“Ah, Crow, I see you are-”

Scarecrow turned when he saw Elderane walk in, a shocked look on his face.

“C-CROW! WHAT ARE YOU FEEDING HIM?!” He yelled, eying the odd-looking bowl on the table.

“Look, it’s not _my_ fault he wants to eat a cheeseburger with those little baby teeth!” Scarecrow yelled back, motioning to the child.

“Ah! I wan eat chisborg!” Gabriel cried, opening his mouth as Elderane just stared in shock. Scarecrow smiled and gave him another spoonful, the child happily eating it.

“SEE?! He likes it!” Scarecrow said proudly as Gabriel gave a laugh. Elderane looked between the two for a minute, his mind processing what he was seeing.

“Crow! That’s _not_ good for the child!” He yelled, running forward towards the table. Scarecrow rolled his eyes.

“It’s _fine!_ It’s just burger smoothie, its perfectly safe!” He said, crossing his arms. Elderane gave him and angry look and reached forward, picking the child up.

“That is _it,_ I am taking him away from you.” He said, stepping back as he held the squirming child in his arms. Scarecrow just smirked.

“Elderane, you are making a big mistake.” He taunted, leaning back in his chair. Elderane just huffed and took another step back.

“No, I am not, now-”

“NYAAAA!! HUNGEY!”

Elderane flinched when Gabriel let out a cry, the child squirming more in his arms.

“G-Gabriel, my child, that food is not good for you!” Elderane said firmly, though Gabriel just let out another teary cry and squirmed more.

“I wan chimsbuuurg!” He cried, his small arms reaching towards the table where Scarecrow was still smirking.

“You were saying?” He said, earning an angry look from Elderane. The elf looked to Gabriel, the child still screaming in his arms. With a sigh, he set Gabriel back on the cushioned chair before the bowl. Elderane just stared with tired eyes as Gabriel’s crying stopped immediately.

“Oh, for the love of the stars…” Elderane muttered, rubbing his eyes as he turned and walked away. Scarecrow laughed to himself as he grabbed the spoon again.

“Hungey!”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it, here ya go, ya spoiled brat.” Scarecrow said with a smile, giving Gabriel more of the odd food. Gabriel happily ate it, his crying gone away completely. Scarecrow nodded to himself. He had great ideas.

~

“Alright, alright, now what…” Scarecrow said, setting the child on the soft bed. Gabriel laughed to himself and began climbing under the blankets again, causing Scarecrow to laugh. He eyed the blankets, another idea coming to him. He reached down and grabbed one of the bigger sheets, pulling it almost off the bed as he attached the other end to the desk chair. He pulled the fleece blanket off Gabriel’s head and picked up the child.

“Cwow wha…” He said with wide eyes, looking up to Scarecrow. The man set the child down on the floor beneath the makeshift tent and the child looked up with sparkling eyes.

“Ya like that?” Scarecrow said, kneeling beneath the sheet as well. Gabriel smiled and laughed, pointing to the low-hanging ceiling.

“Ye! Ye ye!” He cried, a bright smile on his face. Scarecrow smiled back, pondering what more he could do.

~

“Scarecrow, Enty said you took the couch cushions, may I ask wh-HEY!!”

Elderane reeled back in fear when something small and fast hit him on the forehead, causing him to stagger back. He shook his head and leaned back into Gabriel’s room, confusion on his face.

“Shit, sorry! Thought you were Aaron!”

Elderane blinked, taking in the sight. Scarecrow seemed to have built a small fort out of pillows and blankets on the floor in Gabriel’s room. Elderane could see Scarecrow and Gabriel through a window on the front.

“What…did you…”

“He did it!” Scarecrow yelled, sling a toy nerf gun towards Gabriel who laughed and shoved it off the window, the toy clattering to the floor.

“No shooty!” He said, pointing towards Scarecrow.

“Gabe, that was our defense!” He replied with a whine.

“Crow, that on earth is this?” Elderane said, eying the odd structure. Scarecrow crawled out from under it and stood by Elderane, picking up the nerf gun.

“Kid wanted a pillow fort, so I made one.” He said with a shrug.

“It Says-banana!” Gabriel cried happily, ducking below the window and out of sight, though they could still hear his laughing.

“I…I don’t even know anymore…” Elderane said tiredly.

“Shouldn’t you be resting?” Scarecrow said, crossing his arms. Elderane sighed, eying the room.

“I suppose so…I see you two are…having fun…” He said quietly, Gabriel’s muffled laughter ringing in his ears.

“Yea seems like it. Kid is still tired so it’s easier, I guess.” Scarecrow said with a shrug. “He is fun, though, once you learn how to get through to him.”

“Y-yes, I…I see…” Elderane said, recalling his struggles with keeping the child controlled.

“Don’t worry about us, alright? You still need rest.” Scarecrow said, pushing Elderane out the door. “And don’t tell Aaron I have the dart gun! This is payback…” He said, heading back towards the fort.

“For…for what?”

“Don’t worry about it! Now go on, sleep before I tie you to the bed like I do Aaron.” Scarecrow said, vanishing under the pillow fort.

Elderane sighed and pulled the door closed, though he could still hear Gabriel’s laughter from inside. Why was Scarecrow getting along so well with him? He was the reckless one!

…

Wasn’t he?

Elderane quickly ran to Aaron’s room, shutting the door as he stifled a cry. No, Scarecrow wasn’t. _He_ was watching Gabriel. He was looking out for him. _Elderane_ was the reckless one. He let Gabriel escape. Gabriel almost died because of him. _Not_ Scarecrow.

Shaking his head, Elderane let out a sob, hiding his eyes with his hand.

Elderane was the dangerous one.

~

“Right, what else do we need…” Scarecrow said, sitting back against the bed as he eyed their creation. He had a thicker comforter on the floor, so it was soft, as well as a few other blankets, he had the thinner sheets hanging overhead as they blocked out the rest of the room, and Enty had donated a few more stuffed animals, though Gabriel mostly clung to the tiger from before.

“Dark!” Gabriel cried, pointing up. Scarecrow looked around. It was quite dark in here.

“Good thinkin’, Gabe.” Scarecrow said proudly, earning a smile from Gabriel as he crawled out of the fort. He looked up and climbed on the desk, pulling down Gabriel’s strand lights he had hanging above his window.

Gabriel hated most electric lights, but for some reason, he loved strand lights. He had a line of calming white ones above his window year-round that he often had on. Scarecrow carefully got them down and climbed back into the fort.

“Pwetty…” Gabriel said, pointing to the lights as Scarecrow carefully hung them around the inside of the fort with a few clips. Smiling once he got it complete, he reached out and plugged them in, the fort now illuminated by the calming lights.

“Nice call, Gabe. Not bad.” Scarecrow said, leaning back against the bed. He smiled when he saw Gabriel looking around with wonder at the lights above him. Gabriel turned and looked at him brightly, quickly climbing onto Scarecrow’s lap. “Hey, hey, easy, kid, easy…” Scarecrow said, helping Gabriel position himself on his lap.

Gabriel looked up and pointed to one of the lights with a small hand, his eyes sparkling.

“Stawre!” He said with a smile. Scarecrow laughed as he put his arms around Gabriel, the child’s gaze locked on the lights.

“Yeah, they do kinda look like stars, huh.” He said, eying the fort. Gabriel always loved stars.

“Space!” Gabriel cried, throwing both his arms out wide as he glanced up at Scarecrow.

“Yeah, space…it does look like space…” He said calmly, smiling as Gabriel leaned back against him. “You gettin’ tired again, Gabe?” He said, laughing at the tiny confirmation from Gabriel. “You just take a nap, alright…I’m right here.” He said, pulling the fleece blanket higher over Gabriel.

“Cwow won leabe?” Gabriel said, glancing up at Scarecrow who felt a pang of emotion in his heart.

“N-no, Gabe…I won’t leave…” He said softly, holding his friend tighter as Gabriel closed his eyes.

“Ye…bwoder Cwow…” Gabriel muttered, his voice trailing off as he fell asleep. Scarecrow just stared ahead at the lights hanging in the fort, the atmosphere peaceful and safe. He smiled and glanced down at his small friend. So…he _did_ really think of him as a brother then…

Scarecrow smiled and closed his own eyes, leaning back against the soft blanket behind him. Enty was right. This…was fun.

~

“Right, thanks Aaron…” Scarecrow said, grabbing the bag from the man.

“Why did you need that for him again?” Aaron asked, confused by the request that Scarecrow had made for Aaron at the store.

“You’ll see…”

“Crow, I swear, if you’re doing anything weird-”

“It’ll be fine! Trust me, this will be cute.” He said, heading up the stairs, an evil grin on his face. He ran to the bathroom and grabbed a few things, then went back to Gabriel’s room, pulling the door closed.

He snuck in and ducked down, pushing the sheet aside as he climbed into the pillow fort on the floor where Gabriel was asleep, though he stirred and sat up, rubbing his eyes.

“Cwow back!” Gabriel said with a smile. Scarecrow smiled back, dumping the contents of the bags on the floor as Gabriel looked at them in confusion.

“Right, wanna do something fun?” Scarecrow said with a grin, earning a bright smile from Gabriel.

~

Aaron walked up the stairs, pushing Gabriel’s door open. He couldn’t help but smile when he saw the pillow fort. It was…nice seeing Scarecrow take a softer approach to things.

“Crow? You there? I just wanted to tell you where I put the kid food stuff…”

“What was that Aaron?” Scarecrow said, his voice muffled from inside the fort. Aaron rolled his eyes

“Crow, can you come out, please?”

“Of the closet or the fort?”

“Crow!” Aaron said in annoyance, too tired to deal with any of this. “Please, just get out here for a minute.”

“Alright, alright, I’m coming…”

“Good, good, I just wanted…to…” Aaron trialed off, his mind now blank as Scarecrow stood up, the small Gabriel in his arms.

“Yes, Aaron, can we help you?” He said slyly. Aaron just blinked.

“Crow, what the hell…” He said, rubbing his eyes as Scarecrow burst into laughter.

“I think he looks great!”

“I Cwow!” Gabriel cried, throwing his arms up with a smile as Aaron looked back at him. Scarecrow had asked Aaron to buy a child-sized black jacket at the store, and now Aaron knew why. Scarecrow had Gabriel in the jacket, and he had seemingly painted the child’s nails black and put the same eyeliner and makeup on the child that Scarecrow wears normally.

“I think Elderane will like this.”

“He’s going…to kill you…” Aaron said tiredly. “So is Gabe!”

“Ah, he likes it! Right Gabe?”

“I Cwow! I Cwow!” He cried happily. Aaron smiled. It…was really cute. Gabriel would never wear it normally, but…he seemed to like it now.

“Fine, fine, just…make sure you wash off the make up before he goes to bed, ok?”

“Yeah, yeah, I won’t forget.” Scarecrow said with a laugh, following Aaron down the stairs.

“Right, let me just show you where I put the food…” Aaron said, opening the pantry.

“Oh, Crow, I…uh…”

Scarecrow smiled wider and turned around, laughing to himself when he saw the horrified look in Elderane’s eyes.

“C-Crow! What have you done to him?!”

“I’m having fun! He likes it, see?”

“I Cwow!”

“Crow, this is…this is too far!”

“Oh, Eld, it’s fine, it’s harmless fun…” Aaron said calmly, placing a hand on the angry Elderane’s arm.

“But he’s…it’s not…Gabe is…” Elderane sputtered, not sure what to do. He had put that demonic makeup on his Gabriel. He had painted his nails black. It wasn’t Gabriel. It was Scarecrow. He was turning his Gabriel into Scarecrow.

“It’s a mini-me. Literally.” Scarecrow said proudly, holding the child in his arms. He rolled his eyes at the angry look in Elderane’s eyes. “Look, I’m just doing what you all told me to do! I’m taking care of him and having fun!”

“Oh, is Gabriel here?” Enty said, entering the kitchen as he slid past the speechless Elderane. Enty’s eyes widened when he saw the laughing Gabriel.

“Two Crows!” Enty said happily, edging closer to Gabriel. Enty looked up at Scarecrow. “Can you do me?”

“Oh, yeah, s-”

“NO MORE SCARECROWS.” Elderane yelled, causing Scarecrow to burst into laughter again. Even Aaron couldn’t stifle his laughter anymore.

“It’s fine, Eld! Calm down!” Scarecrow said with a wide smile. Elderane glared at him.

“Crow, I _really_ am not sure this is wise!”

“The hell you mean?” He said, humor in his voice.

“I _mean_ …you are not always the best influence!” Elderane said, pointing to the child. Scarecrow just scoffed.

“I’m a great influence!”

“Elderane has a point, Crow…” Aaron said with a sly smile. Scarecrow just glared at him.

“What the hell are you all _talking_ about! I’m a great influence! Everything is fine!” He said, shrugging Elderane off.

“Fuck!”

Scarecrow’s eyes widened when he looked down, a proud look on Gabriel’s face. Scarecrow flinched at the sound of a thump. He looked over and saw Elderane on the floor, out cold.

“Huh…” Scarecrow said, both mortified and proud.

“Gabriel, that’s a bad word!” Enty said in disappointment, pointing at Gabriel, though the child only laughed.

“Cwow say fuck!” He cried, though Scarecrow threw his hand up and covered the giggling child’s mouth as Aaron glared daggers at him.

“Crow…” Aaron growled, anger in his eyes. Scarecrow looked down as Gabriel looked up at him.

“Right, lets bail.” He said quickly to the child, running out of the kitchen as he hopped over Elderane’s unconscious body on the ground.

“CROW GET BACK HERE!” Aaron yelled, though Scarecrow was laughing and already gone.

Scarecrow quickly ran into Gabriel’s room and slammed the door shut, the child laughing in his arms. He looked down as Gabriel looked up at him with a wide smile and bright eyes.

“Heh. Good job, kid.” Scarecrow said as he ruffled Gabriel’s hair, earning another laugh from the child. Scarecrow let out a laugh and slid down the door, sitting on the floor as he held Gabriel in his arms. Maybe he was getting the hang of things…

~

“Ah, Elderane! You feeling better?” Aaron said, walking into the kitchen where Elderane was doing dishes. The elf just let out a sigh and shook his head.

“I…don’t know anymore…”

“Hey, you’re not still upset over Gabe and Crow, are ya?” Aaron said lightly, patting Elderane’s back. “They were just having fun! It’s nice seeing Scarecrow come out of his shell a bit…”

“But he’s messing with _my_ Gabriel…” Elderane said through clenched teeth. Scarecrow had spent the entire day with Gabriel, and Gabriel was loving every bit of it. Elderane should be happy Gabriel was getting his energy back, but…but he was just spending _so much time_ with _Scarecrow…_

“It was his day to watch him, Eld, that can’t be helped. Enty has him tomorrow, then me, then you. You needed the most rest, ok? You are no good to him in such a burnt out or stressed state.”

Elderane was about to respond when laughter caught his attention. He turned and saw the child Gabriel run into the living room, with Scarecrow close behind. Both smiling. Both having a great time…

Gabriel ran towards the far wall, quickly hiding behind the curtains. Scarecrow skidded to a stop, a smile on his face when he saw Gabriel’s little feet from under the curtain.

“Gee, I wonder where Gabriel is…” He taunted, walking closer. He could hear Gabriel laughing from behind the curtain. Scarecrow grinned and threw it open, with Gabriel letting out a happy scream as Scarecrow pulled his hiding spot away. “There ya are, ya little rascal!” He yelled, reaching forward.

“AHAHAH SCAWY CWOW FOUND GABBY!!!” Gabriel laughed, quickly running under Scarecrow’s legs back towards the stairs.

“Hey, get back here!” Scarecrow yelled after him, running out of sight.

Elderane grumbled to himself and went back to scrubbing a plate, his eyes miles away as a fire began smoldering in his chest.

“Oh, hahahaaa look at him, he’s playing with _your_ little Gabriel!” He grumbled to himself through gritted teeth. “Oh, look how _happy_ they are without you! Haha it must be soOo _GREAT_.” He continued, scrubbing the plate harder. “Yeah…so… _happy_ …”

“Uhh, Eld…Eld, the…the plate, Eld…” Aaron said, noticing how hard Elderane was scrubbing the plate. “Eld, you’re gonna break, ELD THE PLATE-”

“GAH!!!” Elderane cried, throwing the plate back into the sink.

“Eld, hey, come on, what’s-”

“I’M FINE!” Elderane yelled, storming out of the kitchen. Aaron paused a moment then sighed, picking up where Elderane left off. Elderane was tense, and Aaron knew not much could help until Gabriel was back to normal.

~

Elderane stormed upstairs, pausing when he saw Scarecrow and Gabriel in the hall, the child Gabriel still wearing the Scarecrow outfit. Elderane grumbled to himself and reached for Aaron’s bedroom door.

“Hey pointy!”

Elderane sighed and turned, noticing Scarecrow walking towards him with the child in his arms. Gabriel was smiling brightly, though the makeup unnerved Elderane on Gabriel.

“What.” Elderane said flatly, facing the sly looking Scarecrow.

“He’s mine now.” Scarecrow said with an evil smile, holding the child Gabriel out farther. Elderane’s eye just twitched as he stared at him.

“I wuv Cwow big bwother!” Gabriel said happily, looking up at the flustered Scarecrow. Elderane felt something tighten around his heart, though he didn’t know quite what it was. He wanted to speak, but he couldn’t.

“Hey, what’s the matter, pointy? Cat got your tongue?” Scarecrow said with a wicked smile. Elderane clenched his fists.

“I…he…you…” Elderane staggered, his face getting hot. Scarecrow reeled back when Elderane hissed at him before quickly vanishing into Aaron’s room, slamming the door shut.

“Ah…wow, uh…I think we may have taken that too far…” Scarecrow muttered. Gabriel giggled and pointed at the door.

“Aldoowane kitty!”

“Yeah…that was…eesh…” Scarecrow said, reaching for the door handle as some guilt rose in his chest. He just wanted to mess with the elf, not make him lose his mind. “Eld? Can I come in?”

“Go away!”

“Eld, for the love of god, come on…” Scarecrow said, pushing the door open. He saw Elderane standing by the bed his arms crossed as he faced away. “Eld?”

“You don’t need to keep rubbing it in, you know…”

“Wh-what? Rubbing what in?”

“That he…that he likes you more now…” Elderane said, his voice breaking. Scarecrow just stood in speechless shock.

“Eld, have you lost your fucking mind?”

“Fuck!”

“Not now, Gabe…” Scarecrow whispered, setting the smiling child on the floor.

“Just…go have fun with him. You’re actually _responsible.”_

“Are you hearing yourself talk?!” Scarecrow said, getting closer.

“I…I just…”

“Eld, Jesus, he likes you just the same as before! What’s gotten into you?”

“He…I…” Elderane said, tears sliding down his face as he turned to face Scarecrow. “I let him down…he…he got hurt _because_ of me…” He said, his voice small. “He…he must know and hate me…”

“Eld, sorry to say, but you’ve actually gone insane.” Scarecrow said flatly.

“What do you…”

“The kid is literally trying to talk with his reflection right now.” Scarecrow said, pointing to Gabriel who was staring with wide eyes at his reflection in the glass cabinet that Aaron had in his room, the child muttering nonsense to himself. “He has no idea what happened with the car incident, and there is no way in hell he can comprehend that you accidentally let him out.” He said, crossing his own arms.

“But…he…”

“Eld, you are _way_ overthinking things…” Scarecrow said gently, sitting on the bed as he sat Elderane beside him. “Christ, he was eating a _burger smoothie_ earlier, he’s got…he’s got baby brain, alright? He isn’t thinking the things you think he’s thinking.” Scarecrow said with a small laugh. Elderane turned and glared at the child who was just sitting on the floor, thumb in his mouth as he glared up at the adults with wide eyes.

“You…you are right…” Elderane said with a sigh as he tried to ease his nerves.

“And hey, I’m sorry for teasing you…I didn’t know you’d get jealous, man…” Scarecrow said, lightly hitting Elderane’s shoulder.

“I was not jealous!”

“Eld…”

“I was jealous…” Elderane said in defeat, looking down. Scarecrow sighed and put his hand on Elderane’s back.

“Eld, Jesus, he doesn’t love you any less…that’s just the nerves talking, ok?” He said, eying the elf as more tears slid down his face. “We just were spending the day together, so he got into ‘Crow’ mode.”

“But…he…he said he loves you…”

“Eld, were you not listening?” Scarecrow said, his eyes tired. Elderane shook his head as Scarecrow sighed. “Right. Look. Hey Gabriel, who am I?” Scarecrow yelled, causing Gabriel to smile.

“Big bwother Cwow!” Gabriel cried, staggering up and clumsily running towards them, clinging to Scarecrow’s leg. Scarecrow glared at Elderane, the man just staring at Gabriel.

“Ah…”

“There are different kinds of love, Eld, and…the kind he’s talkin’ about for me sure as _hell_ ain’t what he thinks about with you.” He said with a laugh, puling Gabriel into his lap. “And don’t get upset, he’s like…four. He can’t comprehend the kind that you two have. Doesn’t mean he loves you any less, though.” Scarecrow said, smiling when he saw Elderane smile as well.

“Aldoowane!” Gabriel cried, climbing over Scarecrow’s legs towards Elderane who took him into his arms. “My elf!” The child said, curling into a ball on Elderane’s lap.

“I think that’s his way of saying it in this state Eld…” Scarecrow said quietly. Elderane just let out a breath and nodded, closing his eyes as he held Gabriel tighter.

“You…you are right…I am sorry for my behavior…”

“It’s alright, it’s alright…sorry for mine, pointy.” Scarecrow said, his hand still on Elderane’s back. The elf let out a breath and nodded, gently picking the now sleeping Gabriel up.

“Here…I believe he is ready for bed…” He said, handing Gabriel to Scarecrow who nodded.

“Yeah…thanks Eld…” He said, standing as he held Gabriel against his chest. “You rest too, alright? You still look horrible.”

“Thank you, Crow…” Elderane said with a tired laugh.

“Anytime.” Scarecrow said slyly, walking out the door.

~

Scarecrow entered Gabriel’s room and pulled the door closed, releasing a breath as the silence rang in his ears.

“Cwow…?”

Scarecrow looked down and saw Gabriel looking up at him tiredly, his eyes dazed.

“Yeah, I’m here. You tired?”

“Sleeby…”

“That’s what I thought…” Scarecrow said with a smile, walking into the room.

“Says-banana!” Gabriel cried, causing Scarecrow to stop.

“You wanna sleep in the fort?” He asked, earning a smile from Gabriel.

“Ye!”

“Alright, alright…” Scarecrow said, climbing into the fort on the floor. He set Gabriel on a pile of blankets and the child curled up, with Scarecrow placing the fleece blanket over him. “Here…” He said, handing the child the stuffed tiger. Gabriel smiled and took it happily, hiding his face in it as he curled up under the soft blanket.

“Nighty Cwow…” He muttered; his voice small. Scarecrow let out a breath and placed his hand on Gabriel’s head, stroking his hair gently.

“Night, Gabe…” He said, pulling his hand back. Gabriel was asleep.

Scarecrow nodded to himself and climbed out of the fort, turning off the rest of the lights in the room, leaving only the strand lights in their fort. He then grabbed Gabriel’s special journal and a pencil, and idea coming to him.

He climbed back into the fort and made himself comfortable as he leaned against the bed. Gabriel was out cold beside him, sleeping soundly.

Scarecrow…really cared about Gabriel. He was his first friend, and…the first person to ever need Scarecrow. To ever consider him a friend. To ever show him love.

He flipped open the journal and went to one of the few empty pages near the end. He eyed the lights hanging above him. Gabriel always loved the stars. He loved space. When they met, Gabriel reassured Scarecrow that if he were ever lost, Gabriel would be there to help him and use the stars to guide him home. Scarecrow laughed as he wrote something down on in the journal, something coming to him.

Gabriel had indeed done that. Scarecrow has been lost in more ways than one, and Gabriel was…always there to help him find his way back. He was always there to keep him grounded. To give him hope. When the world was crashing down on him, dragging him away…Gabriel was there to pull him back. To help him not give in.

To give him a home in this barren and heartless world of theirs. Gabriel…was his first home.

Scarecrow kept writing, glancing to the child as he slept peacefully.

Gabriel hadn’t a home either when they met. He was living in the park, the outside modern world too much for the poor novice to handle alone. He was so lost. Scarecrow sighed, writing something else down, a small smile on his face as his pencil almost moved by itself. Gabriel had told him that in those early days before they met, that he thought he would be lost forever. He had doubts that Elderane would find him. He had doubts that he’d ever be found by anyone. He thought he was going to be alone forever, lost in…

Scarecrow paused, eying the hanging lights above him that Gabriel loved so much. He quickly scribbled something else down, recalling Gabriel’s previous words.

Scarecrow pondered all they had been through. For a while, it was just him and Gabriel on the streets, just trying to survive. They didn’t have much, but…they had each other. And that was all they needed. Then they came across Aaron, then Enty, and…and…

A family was formed.

Scarecrow laughed as he kept writing, drawing a few straight lines on the paper where he drew some black dots, traces of a melody coming to him. They really had been thought a lot. All of them had. Scarecrow hated how much trauma Gabriel has been through. With the gun, and the fire, and…and Scarecrow’s demons…

He sighed, shaking his head as a few tears escaped his eyes. He didn’t care. No one was watching. They guilt of the Acedia incident still haunted him. Gabriel still has nightmares about it. It really scared him, and it was all Scarecrow’s fault.

“Responsible…yeah right…” Scarecrow laughed, wiping his tears as he recalled Elderane’s words. Scarecrow wasn’t responsible. He got Gabriel possessed by a demon. And while Gabriel had long since forgiven him…Scarecrow knew he was still terrified. Gabriel just…was so shaken. And it was Scarecrow’s fault.

He paused his writings, rubbing his eyes as he then turned and glared at the sleeping child. Nonetheless…Gabriel forgave him. He always does. And Scarecrow would work harder to protect him, as he promised he’d do so long ago. He shook his head as his tears faded and he went back to writing.

Gabriel…his friend so lost in time. So lost in this world. Scarecrow smiled as he hummed an idea to himself, his small friend in the corner of his eye. Gabriel helped Scarecrow find his way so many times before when he was lost. It was time Scarecrow helped Gabriel do the same.

~

A few hours had passed, and Scarecrow knew all the others had gone to bed. He probably should, but…his mind was just swarming with thoughts and ideas. He couldn’t sleep. Besides, the fort they created was comfy. He liked its gentle security and safety.

With a sigh, he eyed all he had written and drawn in the journal. This was good. He set it aside, taking in a deep breath as he released it. At the moment…everything was ok.

A small whimper startled Scarecrow. He looked beside him and saw Gabriel stirring, a look of distress on his face as he whimpered and muttered unintelligible things to himself. A nightmare…

“Hey, hey, you’re safe, Gabe, you’re safe…” Scarecrow said softly, placing his hand on Gabriel’s head. Gabriel opened his now teary eyes, the child whimpering as he breathed heavy and tried to sit up. “Gabe?” Scarecrow said in worry, eying the distressed child. After a second, Gabriel finally looked up at him, some tears sliding down the child’s face.

“C-Cwow…” Gabriel muttered, wiping his eyes. Scarecrow felt a pang of hurt stab at his heart.

“You’re alright, Gabe…did you have a nightmare?” He said gently, placing his hand on Gabriel’s back.

Gabriel looked up at him and nodded with a whimper. Scarecrow sighed; his heart heavy. Why couldn’t Gabriel ever catch a break…

“What…did you dream about?” He asked, the child wiping his tired eyes again with his small hand.

“Fiwre…” Gabriel said quietly, looking away. Scarecrow just stared at him, his gaze going to the large burn scar on Gabriel’s arm.

“You…had a nightmare about fire?” He asked fearfully. Gabriel nodded and slunk back, pulling the stuffed tiger up to his face as he let out a small sob. Scarecrow just stared at him, his heart aching. “Well…there’s no fire, Gabe. Nothing will hurt you when I’m here.” He said firmly.

Gabriel looked up at him with wide eyes, his tears stopping.

“No?”

“Nope…you’re safe with me. I promise.” He said with a smile. Gabriel smiled back and reached his hands out towards Scarecrow, the man sighing and reaching back as he picked up the child, setting him in his lap. “Would it help if you slept here?” He said flatly. Gabriel smiled and nodded tiredly.

Scarecrow nodded back and reached over, pulling the fleece blanket back and setting it over himself and the child as Gabriel snuggled against his chest.

“Cwow bwother…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know…” Scarecrow said, his face red as he adjusted the blanket. He looked down at the child, a slight look of distress still on his face. “Right, cut the crying, ok?” He said, wiping away a tear from under Gabriel’s eye as the child looked up at him.

“Cwow…?”

“Alright, would you like to hear something I made for ya?” He asked, the brightness immedetly returning to Gabriel’s eyes.

“Moosic?” Gabriel asked, a smile forming on his face when Scarecrow nodded.

“Yeah, ya little rascal. Music.”

“Ye!” Gabriel said, curling up against Scarecrow’s chest, the child holding the stuffed tiger tightly in his arms. Scarecrow smiled and fixed the fleece blanket once more over the child and then reached over, opening the journal he was writing in.

Taking in a breath, he placed his other hand on Gabriel’s back, holding the small child tighter against him.

“ _Another star…has fallen…without a sound…”_ Scarecrow sang quietly. _“Another spark…has burned out in the cold.”_

Gabriel looked up at him with wide eyes and Scarecrow smiled back, happy his friend’s fears had faded away.

 _“Another door…to the barrens standing open…and who is there, to tell me not to give in, not to go?”_ He sang, his other hand now gently stroking the tired looking Gabriel’s hair, the child’s eyes beginning to flicker closed.

 _“How could I know, how could I know…? That I’d get lost in space to roam forever…”_ He sang, his heart warm when Gabriel let out a small yawn, his eyes closing as he clung to Scarecrow’s shirt. _“How could I know, how could I see? Feeling like lost in space to roam forever…”_

Scarecrow smiled as he stroked his friend’s hair, the events of the day burning away all his fear and worries.

 _“I’m crawling down…the doorway to the badlands. And kicking down…are you heard, it’s to the black…and all the damage, fading in the rear-view mirror…”_ He sang, his words reaching farther into his mind than he knew. _“When the demons, are calling me they’re dragging me away…”_

Gabriel was fast asleep in his arms, with Scarecrow’s gentle singing resonating in the dead of night.

_“How could I know, how could I know? That I’d get lost in space to roam forever. How could I know, how could I see? Feeling like lost in space to roam forever.”_

Scarecrow smiled, his hand still on Gabriel’s head as his friend slept soundly against him.

 _“Lost in space…lost in time…”_ He sang, his memories of Gabriel echoing in his mind as he held his friend close. _“Lost in space, lost in time…lost in space…”_

Gabriel was lost in time, perhaps, but…he was found here. Scarecrow promised he’d take care of him and he was going to keep that promise. Gabriel…was family. He may be lost in this world, but…he belonged with them. This ragtag group of doubles and an elf. They all were lost in their own way, but…they had each other. They found each other.

_“How could I know, how could I know…that I’d get lost in space, to roam forever…how could I know, how could I see? Feeling like lost in space to roam forever…”_

Scarecrow faded off as the sounds of the night came back to him, the silence now ringing in his ears among the memories flashing before his eyes. Memories of his friends.

_“Forever…”_

Scarecrow glanced over to the journal beside him, the song’s lyrics written on the worn page. He smiled and grabbed the pencil, adding the song title to the top. _‘Lost in Space’_. Nodding with a smile, Scarecrow was about to put the pencil down when a thought came to him. He eyed the lyrics he had written. Smiling, Scarecrow took the pencil and went back to the title, adding in parenthesis a _‘(Gabriel’s Song)’_ beside it.

Letting out a breath, he set the pencil down and closed the journal, leaning his head back against the side of the bed. Gabriel was fast asleep in his arms, now sleeping soundly with not a nightmare to be seen. Scarecrow smiled and closed his own eyes, taking in a certain peace of mind in the serenity of the night that he hadn’t had in days.

At the moment…all was ok. They were all safe, and he…had fun. Scarecrow had fun today. He laughed to himself as the events replayed themselves over in his mind.

He found himself smiling as he held Gabriel close, sleep finally coming to him as he drifted off, the melody of the song he just wrote still echoing in his mind as he slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am VERY proud of this one hehe.
> 
> Big brother Crow is BEST.
> 
> THINGS:  
> -Says-banana = Sesidhbana  
> -Eld is not 100% jealousy, it is mostly guilt for failing Gabe himself  
> -Crow is chaotic  
> -He can he soft when he chooses to  
> -Gabriel's love for Crow really do be showing in this mindset  
> -Baby burrito  
> -Elderane cannot compute Gabriel saying the F word  
> -Elderane is a leetle broken at the moment. Elf is 80% emotions, and his are just All over the place right now. Eld has lost braincell rights and is now in Stupid mode  
> -Hence why Aaron gave Eld last watch. Eld needs the most rest.  
> -I am laughing so hard at this:  
> Eld: He hates me he knows I did this he doesn't love me he knows I failed him he hates me ;-;  
> Crow:  
> Crow: Eld, he's baby
> 
> Also note how fascinating the song thing is: In his own world, if he had stayed the course, he would have written that song based on his personal despair and self-loathing. Here, in these circumstances, the song fits and is 'written' based on his love for Gabriel. Similar to how in real life, songs are interpreted differently depending on the listener and circumstance. So, in this universe, it be 'Lost in Space (Gabriel's Song)' lol. Hehe...
> 
> He loves his Gabby.


	14. Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enty has a nightmare and Gabriel helps him find peace.

**Prompt 9: Dreams**

_Featuring: Avantasia protags_

Enty shot awake with a fearful cry, his heart jumping out of his chest as he gasped for air. He scrambled up against his back headboard as he gripped his chest, sweat lining his forehead as he caught his breath. He sat a moment just staring blankly ahead as he let his mind settle.

Another nightmare…

He let out a long breath and lowered his hand, his mind finally easing as he took in the calming darkness around him. It wasn’t one of his worst nightmares, but…it was still bad. He let out a whimper and huddled in on himself, a lonely feeling taking him by his throat.

He was always alone in his dreams.

Enty looked up towards his door, a faint light coming from the hall. Mindlessly getting up, Enty slid over to his door, now seeing flickering light come from beneath Gabriel’s door. He was awake. Enty looked to his bedside table and saw it was just after midnight. Why was Gabriel awake?

Maybe…he could offer some reassurance…

Swallowing his nerves as his heart calmed, Enty slid across the hall and gave an ever so slight knock on Gabriel’s door as he pushed it open. He saw Gabriel at his desk, the man turning around in confusion.

“Enty? Are you alright?” Gabriel asked, setting his pencil down onto his journal. Enty stood in the doorway, the tight suffocating feeling from his nightmare returning. He shook his head and looked away as Gabriel sighed. “A nightmare?” He asked, his voice gentle.

“Y-yeah…”

“Same here.” Gabriel said, pulling himself to his feet as Enty looked up at him in confusion.

“You…had one too?”

“Y-yeah, the uh…the Acedia thing again, I suppose…” Gabriel said, rubbing the back of his neck. He just couldn’t shake the feeling of being possessed. It haunted him. Even in sleep, he found the darkness dragging him under, or he saw himself hurting his friends against his will. Tonight was one of those nights, and he didn’t want to face the dreams, so he stayed awake to draw.

“Oh, I…I see…” Enty muttered, holding his arms closer to himself. He felt bad for his friend. Gabriel was so scared of the demon that attacked him.

“What about you?” Gabriel asked, sitting on the edge of the bed, though Enty didn’t move.

“I…I don’t remember much…”

“Already forgotten it?”

“Yeah…I just remember…cold…” He muttered, rubbing his left arm which was covered by his flames. Gabriel looked at the sad look in Enty’s eyes and knew what he was thinking.

“Well…would you like to sleep in here?” Gabriel asked with a small smile. Enty smiled back, his heart skipping.

“I can?” He said, eagerness in his voice. His friends could always scare the nightmares away. Gabriel nodded.

“Yeah, sure, I don’t mind.” He said, pulling himself to his feet. Enty went to the bed and got in, watching as Gabriel blew most of the candles out, leaving one on his bedside table and his nightlight he had on the other side of the room.

Gabriel got into bed beside his friend, his special journal in his hands. Enty peered over and saw a detailed drawing of someone he didn’t recognize, the man smiling brightly.

“Gabriel…”

“Yes?”

“Who is that?” Enty said, pointing to the drawing. He now saw the man…had pointy ears. Like an elf…

Gabriel stuttered a moment, his mind blanking.

“Uh, well…he is, uh…he’s from…” Gabriel said, not sure what to do. He hadn’t told any of the others about his past in Avantasia, in fear they wouldn’t believe him. Think him insane. He really had no way to prove it really exited to the others, so he just kept quiet.

“He seems nice…” Enty said, noticing the calming and bright smile the man had. Gabriel sighed, eying his friend beside him.

“Enty…if I tell you…will you promise you keep it a secret?” Gabriel said, with Enty looking at him in confusion. “I’m…not ready for the others to know yet, and…and I…oh…” He muttered, unsure of what to do.

“I won’t tell!” Enty said brightly. He looked back down to Gabriel’s journal, now noticing the lengthy journal entries beside the drawing. “Did you write a story?” He asked brightly. Gabriel couldn’t help but smile.

“I…well, I wrote this…but…but it really happened…” He said, his mouth almost moving on it’s own. He had wanted to tell the others about Avantasia since they day they met, but he just hadn’t been able to.

“Is this from your past?” Enty asked, innocently. Gabriel blinked, eying his written detail of his adventure in Avantasia. He smiled to himself.

What the hell.

“Yeah…yeah, it is Enty. Would it help you sleep if I uh…if I told you about it?” He asked, his heart begging for his secret to be told to someone. Enty’s eyes brightened.

“Yeah! I’d love to hear what you wrote…”

“And you cannot tell the others…”

“Why not?”

“I just…I just am not ready, yet…so promise me you will not speak of this…” Gabriel said, eying Enty. Enty smiled and nodded.

“I promise!” He said, pulling the blanket up higher. Gabriel smiled and leaned back, flipping to the beginning of the journal.

“Well…I suppose to start…in my world, I managed to cross over into this ‘spirit world’ of sorts…” He started, with Enty looking at him with wide eyes. Gabriel smiled, his nerves fading. “A world called Avantasia…” He said, looking down to the first page of his journal.

As the night ticked on, Gabriel and Enty sat side-by-side, with Gabriel calmly reading his written story about what he went through in his past. He told Enty about Anna, and how he had a big enlightenment that led him to the world of Avantasia.

He told him about the fantasy world in all its surreal glory, with its strange skies and unique plant life and majestic forests. He told Enty about his journey to Sesidhbana, a glorious golden city in the center of Avantasia, a kingdom of the elves.

“Elves?” Enty asked, edging closer as he eyed a drawing of the same strange man from before that Gabriel had drawn. The man did have pointy ears…

“Yes…they don’t exist in reality, but they exist in Avantasia…dwarves too…”

“Like the stories!” Enty said brightly. Gabriel smiled.

“Yes, like the stories…except this place is real.”

“And you really went there?!”

“I wouldn’t lie to you, Enty…” Gabriel said softly, a calm smile on his face. Enty smiled wider and edged even closer, looking into Gabriel’s journal as he continued to read.

Gabriel told him how he was taken to see the prince of Avantasia, an elf named Elderane. A kind and genuine soul, and one of Gabriel’s best friends. He told Enty about the evil tower, and how he ran through a battlefield to save the seals and Avantasia.

“You’re a hero!” Enty said, his eyes beginning to feel heavy. Gabriel laughed, looking down at the book.

“That is what they told me, though I never felt like it…” He muttered, some guilt creeping into his mind as he thought of his friends who perished because of him.

He didn’t dare tell Enty these things. He didn’t mention Lugaid, Regrin, or the bailiff who Jakob killed. He didn’t mention the witch trials, or the dragon. Enty could never know. The others could never know.

They’d hate Gabriel if they knew people were dead because of him. Gabriel didn’t have much family, so he couldn’t lose these doubles he lived with. He would never speak of the darkness he created, and all will be well.

Gabriel continued telling Enty about the good things. The majesty of Avantasia and how Gabriel learned to meditate there.

“Wait, is that where you go?” Enty asked softly. “When you meditate?”

“Yes, it is…I managed to forge a permanent connection between myself and that world. I can see Elderane whenever I focus on the world enough…”

“Woah…” Enty said, shaking his head as he felt exhaustion begin to take over.

Gabriel finished by telling him how Anna was freed, and her and Gabriel went on to live happily, and Gabriel eventually making his home in Avantasia.

Or…temporary home. Until he was whisked away to reality…

“Well…at least you can see your elf friend!” Enty said with a calm smile. Gabriel nodded back.

“Yes…yes, I can…” He said, his heart warm. Enty…believed every word he said. He could always rely on Enty. As Gabriel looked at his friend, he saw Enty begin to look visibly tired. “Alright, Enty…why don’t you try to sleep again…” He said, grabbing his pencil as Enty made himself comfortable.

“What about you?”

“I will just finish this drawing, then I shall go. Thank you, Enty…I do not think my nightmare will return.” He said happily, smiling when Enty looked at him proudly.

“Mine either…thank you…Gabriel…” He said softly, closing his eyes. He thought of all he had been told by Gabriel. A magical fantasy world in the back of everyone’s mind. He smiled to himself, wondering if he would ever go there someday. He replayed Gabriel’s story in his head over and over as he drifted to sleep, his mind at peace.

Gabriel looked at his friend, his flames flickering gently as he breathed quietly. Enty was asleep. Nodding to himself, happy it seemed to be a peaceful sleep, Gabriel went back to his drawing, hoping to finish the sketch of Elderane before he went to bed.

~

Enty blinked, terror wracking his mind. He looked around himself. He was aware, and he was definitely awake.

But he wasn’t at home.

“G-guys?!” Enty cried, looking around. He was in the woods. He was in a clearing in the woods. It was nighttime, and a full silver moon was directly above him, illuminating the entire area brightly. The woods were dark and seemingly went on for miles. He could hear an owl call in the distance.

Enty whimpered, taking a few steps back. He knew what his dreams felt like, and this wasn’t one of them. This felt real. And he was alone.

“G-Gabriel?” He squeaked, a cool breeze blowing through the forest. He looked around with wide eyes as the trees blew in the wind, their dark branches a solid black as they silhouetted against the bright moon.

He could hear the rustling of leaves on the forest floor. Movement. He could hear movement. Enty felt like he was being watched.

Looking around in terror, he slunk back to the center of the clearing where the moonlight was brightest. He breathed heavy as the rustling of leaves didn’t stop, even when the wind did. Something was moving around him in the darkness.

“H-hello?” Enty muttered, the man unable to see through the thick woods. He didn’t have Scarecrow here to fight any danger away. He didn’t have Aaron’s safety. He didn’t have Gabriel’s comfort. He was alone with a creature in the darkness.

Enty heard a twig snap and he spun around, his face paling when he saw a figure standing like a ghost in the almost pitch-black shadows beneath the trees, the thing wearing a long white haunting outfit that blew gently in the light breeze. Someone was standing there, unmoving. Enty was usually good at seeing in the dark, but he couldn’t focus well enough to see what was standing before him.

He flinched when the ghost-like figure stepped closer, and Enty’s blood froze when it let out a scream.

_“G-GABRIEL?!!”_

~

Elderane walked puzzled through the forest, the elf navigating the darkened woods he knew so well as he headed for the clearing where Gabriel always appeared. He had sensed that Gabriel had entered, though it was odd.

It was the middle of the night.

Elderane hadn’t bothered to change, so he kept his nightgown on, as he was comfortable around Gabriel. He huffed to himself as he traversed the woods, somewhat frustrated that Gabriel was making him come all the way out here at such a late hour.

Elves didn’t really need sleep, but Elderane enjoyed the activity. He knew Gabriel knew this, so why would his friend appear now? Elderane couldn’t say. Gabriel was always full of surprises, that Elderane could never predict what the novice would do. It made life fun.

He heard a voice cry out ahead. It sounded like Gabriel. Elderane carried on, finally reaching the clearing.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he reached it, a light breeze blowing through as a shiver went down his spine, his blood freezing solid.

He saw Gabriel there, except…something was _wrong._

His hair was shorter, but the thing that scared Elderane the most was that…he seemed to be half on fire with black flames, the ghastly eerie shadows covering half of his friend’s body as he stood there, staring right at Elderane. Elderane could see Gabriel’s left eye, which was covered by the fire, was now glowing in the darkness a creepy ghostly white.

Something was _very_ wrong with his friend.

 _“G-GABRIEL?!!”_ Elderane cried, his terror taking over when he saw his friend. Gabriel reeled back in seeming fright, his shadows flaring more.

“I-I, uh, I…” He said, his voice shaking. Elderane couldn’t feel his legs. His whole body was numb.

 _“G-GABRIEL, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!”_ The elf cried in terror, his face paling when he saw his friend. Something was _horribly_ wrong.

“Wh-what, I, I-” Gabriel started, some tears forming in his eyes.

 _“ARE YOU POSSESSEED?! IS YOUR SOUL CORRUPTED?! G-GABRIEL, WHAT…I…I…”_ Elderane shrieked, gripping his hair as his heart beat out of his chest. He could hear his blood pounding in his ears. He felt tears begin streaming from his eyes as he shook in place.

Something was wrong with Gabriel! He was hurt! Something was wrong! He was half on fire with demonic shadows, his Gabriel was possessed!

Elderane staggered back, his heartrate quickening as he sobbed, not sure what to do. He had never seen _anything_ like this before.

He heard Gabriel let out a cry as well and the elf broke, his mind a screaming mess.

~

Gabriel closed his journal, his mind at peace as he set it on the bedside table. Enty was out cold next to him, unmoving as he slept. Gabriel smiled; happy his friend’s nightmares had left him. Gabriel leaned the other way, about to blow out the candle when he heard something in the back of his mind.

He paused, focusing on the odd sensation. He could hear…screaming. Elderane’s screaming. In Avantasia. Gabriel’s heart dropped as his eyes widened. Something was wrong, he could feel it.

Quickly blowing out the candle, Gabriel fell back onto his pillow and focused on Avantasia, hoping he wasn’t too late.

~

Enty was sobbing in confusion, holding his arms closer to his chest as he staggered back, his emotions overwhelmed. The ghost across from him was screaming, though Enty’s mind couldn’t decipher it as his own mind screamed to himself. He couldn’t hear, he couldn’t think!

Elderane was also sobbing on his knees, too fearful to move ahead as he stared with wide eyes at Gabriel, the man almost fully on fire with the black flames. It had to be possession, or corruption, or, or…

“Guys, what the hell…”

Elderane’s mind went totally silent as a new voice forcefully dragged him out of his hysterical thoughts. He looked ahead through blurry vision and saw…Gabriel there…

He saw Gabriel. _His_ Gabriel. Long hair and robe and all…

“Wh-what…” Elderane said, his voice small as he looked between the duo.

“Gabriel!”

Gabriel staggered back as Enty ran and hugged him, hiding his face in his shoulder. Gabriel, looking at him in confusion, placed his hand on his back and held him close, his friend still sobbing.

“Enty…how did you _get_ here?” He asked, though Enty just kept crying.

“G-Gabriel…?” Elderane asked, edging closer fearfully. Gabriel just looked at him with tired eyes. He sighed and pushed Enty away, the man’s fire retreating as he regained his composure.

“Ok…what’s going on here?” Gabriel asked, crossing his arms as he looked at the duo.

“GHOST!”

“DEMON!”

Gabriel blinked, the duo before him now pointing at each other fearfully, tears streaming from both their eyes. The novice sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he shook his head.

It was too late for this.

“Alright, alright, both of you, calm down…” Gabriel said, lowering his hand. He looked at the shaken duo, both still crying. Gabriel sighed. “Alright, Enty, this is Elderane, prince of Avantasia, Elderane, this is Enty, my roommate. The one I _told you about.”_ Gabriel sneered, annoyance in his voice.

Elderane blinked, eying Enty.

“He is…your roommate?” He asked quietly.

“He is, Eld…he is.”

“I…do not remember you saying he was…on fire…” Elderane said, taking a step back.

“Eld, I did tell you, though we were working on your plane, so I am now sure you weren’t even paying attention.” Gabriel said flatly. Elderane looked to the side, recalling the moment.

“Oh…r-right…” He said, taking a step back. He eyed Enty, the man just looking at him in confusion. “Well…Enty, I…I apologize, it is late and in the dim light, I…I got confused…I especially did not expect you to even be able to arrive here…” He said, looking Enty over.

“Yeah, Enty, how the heck are you here?” Gabriel said, lowering his arms. Enty just shuffled on his feet and looked down.

“I…I don’t know! I went to sleep thinking about the story you told me, I guess…” He said quietly. Gabriel just stared at him blankly.

“You meditated like me? After _one_ try? After _just_ learning about Avantasia?!” Gabriel yelled, shock in his voice.

“Y-yeah, I guess…” Enty said softly. “Am I in trouble?”

“No! No, god, no…” Gabriel said, placing his hand on Enty’s arm. “I’m just…confused on how you managed this…”

“As am I…how strange…” Elderane said, looking Enty over.

“Well…I’m sorry for scaring you, Mr. prince, sir…” Enty said softly, though he smiled when Elderane let out a hearty laugh.

“Oh, you may call me just Elderane, please, please.” Elderane said warmly, taking Enty’s hand in his own as Enty smiled at him. “And I apologize for scaring you as well…”

“Great, ok, that’s all settled, can we go back to bed now?” Gabriel said tiredly. It was late by this point. “We can do this again and talk more when it’s not the middle of the night…” He said, rubbing his eyes. Elderane and Enty smiled at him, nodding.

“Yes, you are quite right. I would like to go back to sleep as well.” Elderane said, taking a step back.

“How…do I get home?” Enty said, edging closer to Gabriel.

“Just focus on home, or anything that reminds you of home. Focus as hard as you can and imagine yourself being there. You’ll wake up there just fine.” Gabriel said calmly. Enty smiled, closing his eyes.

After a moment, Enty flickered out of view, leaving Gabriel and Elderane alone.

“Ah…well…it seems I…overreacted…”

“You thought he was me, didn’t you?” Gabriel said flatly. Elderane looked away.

“Maybe…”

“Ah, Eld…alright, you _are_ tired, so go to bed.” Gabriel commanded, patting Elderane’s arm. “I can come back tomorrow, alright?”

“I would like that…thank you.” Elderane said, a warm smile on his face as he stared at his friend, illuminated by the silver moon.

“Right. Goodnight Elderane.”

“Goodnight, Gabriel.”

~

Gabriel snapped up with a jolt, his heart skipping as he laid back in bed. The room was dim. He breathed a moment then looked over, his heart warm when he saw Enty sleeping soundly, a small smile on his face as he slept in peace.

Nodding to himself, Gabriel leaned back into his pillow and pulled the blanket up, his mind also at peace. He laughed to himself a moment, the scenario from before replaying in his mind. He didn’t know how it was possible Enty got to Avantasia, but…he could.

And Gabriel was happy that someone else knew about it. That someone else knew about Elderane. He had been wanting his friends to meet the elf, though he wanted it to be through…better circumstances. But…at least Enty did.

Gabriel closed his eyes, pondering the concept. He wondered if Aaron or Scarecrow could as well?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How Enty met Elderane...
> 
> Enty was the first to know about Avantasia AND the first to meet Elderane (check timeline). Gabriel doesn't think the others will believe him yet, so he holds off for a bit longer.
> 
> Elderane is tired therefor he is in 'stupid' mode. Enty is just overwhelmed by the levels of emotional panic from Elderane, so he can't think straight either.
> 
> Gabriel is -.-


	15. Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel is stressed, so the others take him somewhere special.

**Prompt 10: Stars**

_Featuring: Avantasia protags_

“Guys, this is unsettling.”

“Just chill, Gabe, it’s a surprise.”

“I don’t understand why I have to be blindfolded.”

“Do you understand what surprise means?”

“Yes, but we have been driving for hours. This thing is getting uncomfortable.”

“You’ve only had that on for like an hour, Gabe. We’re almost there, just relax.”

“I _really_ don’t understand the significance of this.”

“You have been quite stressed, Gabe, and we wanted to do something to help you relax.”

“Is being blindfolded in a car supposed to help me relax?”

“It helps me.”

“Crow!”

“Look, just…why are you doing this?”

“Because you’re our friend!”

“Ah, thank you Enty, but still…”

“Gabe, for the love of God, just shut up and relax.”

“Alright, alright…geez…”

Gabriel leaned back in his seat as he crossed his arms with a huff. The group had blindfolded him and prevented him from removing it the latter half of the car ride. They had been on the road for hours and Gabriel was getting antsy.

“Guys, it’s like…really late now. It’s dark out anyway, _why_ do I need this blindfold?”

“Cause, we say so, Gabe. Just relax, won’t yah?” Scarecrow said as he lightly hit Gabriel’s shoulder.

They were going on vacation far away to go camping, but they hadn’t let Gabriel see a thing once they got close to their destination.

Aaron gripped the steering wheel tighter; the dirt roads making things a bit tricky. They had decided to go somewhere to get away from the city, as Gabriel had been quite on edge due to the incident in the alley a few weeks ago. He had been much more reserved, and it broke Aaron’s heart.

Gabriel had been so scared, and he still was. So, they knew they had to do something to help him out. The three of them had talked in private about places Gabriel would like, and after some input about an interest of Gabriel’s from Scarecrow, and after some online research, Aaron knew where they could go that was isolated and peaceful.

And it had something they knew Gabriel would enjoy.

Aaron couldn’t help but smile when he saw the annoyed Gabriel next to him, blindfold over his eyes as he sat back, pouting as Scarecrow pestered him. Gabriel’s injury was now just a scar, but Aaron knew the pain was still there. In more ways than one.

Gabriel just…couldn’t shake it. And Aaron couldn’t blame him. But what kind of friend would he be if they let Gabriel keep hurting in such a way and not even try to help him.

He just hoped their idea worked. It was a clear night, with not a cloud in the dark sky. Aaron smiled wider. This was going to work.

~

After a little bit more driving, Gabriel finally felt the car stop.

“Alright, we’re here…” Aaron said as he shut the car down. Gabriel heard him get out of the car.

“Can I take this off now?”

“No!” Enty yelled excitedly as he too got out of the car. Gabriel heard Scarecrow laugh behind him in the back seat.

“Har har har, very funny, I’m glad you’re amused.”

“I am!” Scarecrow said brightly as he climbed out. Gabriel felt someone open his car door.

“Come on, I’ll guide you.” Aaron said with a warm smile as he helped Gabriel out of the car. Gabriel got out and immediately knew they were someplace quite different. He was standing on grass and he could smell and hear nature. Real nature. Not like the suburbs where they lived. It was quiet. _Really_ quiet. He couldn’t hear any machines or cars or anything.

Gabriel hadn’t heard natural silence like this since he was in his old world…

“Guys, really, what is this? You had us drive to Pennsylvania for vacation, but why arrive so late? Won’t that make set up harder?”

“Yeah, but we have our reasons, Gabe.” Aaron said with a small laugh as he let Gabriel hold his arm as they walked. Aaron smiled brightly as they crossed the grassy terrain. He took in a deep breath, the air cool and calm. It was September and the weather was amazing. The nights would be a bit chilly, but they came prepared with blankets and fire supplies.

Aaron had to do some research for this trip, however, and they had to make special accommodations. But it would be worth it. He knew it would be.

“Aren’t we gonna unpack?”

“We’ll come back for the stuff, Gabe. We have something we need to do first.”

“Aaron, come on…”

“Just trust me, Gabriel!” Aaron laughed. Gabriel _really_ needed to relax. The group carefully led him around the grassy area as a cool night wind blew through. Gabriel could hear trees around him blow in the wind. He could smell the clean air. They were really far out.

“Guys, what is…”

“Holy shit…” Scarecrow muttered.

“Woah!” He heard Enty yell from in front of him.

“What? What is it?” Gabriel asked, on edge as his friend’s exclamation. He felt Aaron stop walking.

“Oh, yes…this is perfect.” He said, causing Gabriel’s annoyance to rise.

“Guys, really, this is getting-”

“Here, Gabe, I think you will like this…” Aaron said gently. Gabriel stood still when he felt Aaron untie the blindfold behind his head. Gabriel looked down and rubbed his eyes, blinking as the blurriness faded and his eyes adjusted to the darkness around him.

“Gabe, you remember when we met, and you said you didn’t think that this dimension had stars, because you couldn’t see them through the city’s light pollution?” Scarecrow said, his voice holding notable excitement.

Gabriel blinked more and looked up, his friends coming into focus.

“Y-yeah, what does…that…” Gabriel muttered, his voice trailing off when his eyes widened more, his heart stopping. He could hear Enty laugh a bit beside him. Gabriel felt his breathing pick up as he stared in front of him, his mind not comprehending what he was seeing.

It was nighttime, and before him was a giant park, with some green fields in front of him with dark tree lines surrounding it. He couldn’t see a house or electric light for miles. But the thing that his gaze was locked on was the sky.

Above him was the starriest sky he had ever seen, with countless stars shining brightly, twinkling against the slightly purplish hazy sky. He saw a great cluster of stars streak across the wide-open sky, like a giant rip in the fabric of the universe above him.

In all the worlds he’s been in, he’s never seen a sky like this. His back home looked close, but even still...something about this spot made this location even more vivid. It didn’t look real. He saw stars he didn’t recognize, and some he assumed were planets. The long cluster above him was glittering in the night, a giant sparkling expanse of majesty contrasting against the black night.

“That’s the Milky Way, Gabe.” Aaron said, walking up to the speechless Gabriel. “We’re in Cherry Springs park in Pennsylvania. It’s a dark sky zone, meaning the lowest levels of light pollution this side of the country.” He said, his smile widening when he saw the shining amazement in Gabriel’s eyes. With how wide they were, Aaron could almost swear he saw the stars reflecting in them.

“It was Scarecrow’s idea!” Enty said, grabbing Gabriel’s arm, holding him tight in excitement.

“Y-yeah, I…I knew you had a thing for space, and…and we can’t see this stuff in Ohio, so, you know…I thought you would like this…or whatever…” Scarecrow said, shoving his hands in his pocket as he sauntered over.

“Gabe?” Aaron asked, noticing Gabriel wasn’t moving, his gaze stuck on the sky.

“I think we broke him…” Enty muttered, a small smile still on his face as he released his friend’s arm. Gabriel said nothing, his body shaking slightly as his mind processed the sight before him.

“Geez, is he breathi-hey!” Scarecrow yelled, staggering back when Gabriel abruptly bolted forward, pulling him into a hug. Scarecrow looked pleadingly at the others as he held his hands up, with Gabriel’s arms wrapped around his chest.

“Oh, hug!” Enty yelled, joining. Scarecrow let out a frustrated groan, his gaze locking on Aaron as the scientist sauntered closer, a sly grin on his face.

“Don’t you _fucking_ dare!” Scarecrow yelled, though Aaron joined the hug before he could push him away. Scarecrow let out a grumble, his hands still held high as his friend’s held him. He paused and looked down when he heard Gabriel let out a sob.

“Gabe? You ok?” Aaron said, pulling away as he placed a hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. Gabriel blinked and looked up, tears streaming from his eyes as he tried to wipe them away, though more just came after.

“I…I…g-guys, I…” He stuttered; his voice broken as he looked between his three friends.

“So…you like it?” Scarecrow said flatly. He couldn’t stop a smile from forming on his face when he saw Gabriel nod quickly, sniffling as he tired to regain his composure.

“Y-yes…m-more than anything…” He said, turning back to the sky. Gabriel always loved space. He loved the stars. In his world, he learned how to determine direction and location from them. He loved looking at them, and he loved studying them. It was something he was happy had evolved since he came to reality, as so many discoveries had been made about space he read about. He didn’t understand the technology, but he still liked to read about it.

“Well, we’re here for three nights, Gabe, so you can look at it all you want.” Aaron said warmly. “I even bought a small telescope to use, so you can look at some of those stars and planets closer.”

“I…I can?!”

“Yep! And because I know you, I bought some paper star maps as well to help, as I know you won’t want to use the online ones.” Aaron said, his heart warm when he saw the pure excitement in Gabriel’s eyes.

“You…you all did all this…for me?” He said, looking between his friends.

“Of course, you idiot.” Scarecrow said, waving him off. “I don’t like seeing you all depressed, so…so we coordinated this to help you relax.”

“No technology, no danger! Just us out here and space!” Enty said happily. Gabriel blinked again, his mind still reeling. His gaze landed on Aaron, who smiled back at him.

“Gabe, we love you, alright? We hated seeing you so upset, so…we thought this would help.”

“Is it helping?!” Enty asked, his smile never fading. Gabriel looked back up at the sky, the stars shimmering above him. He smiled wide and looked back to his three friends, his anxieties fading along with his fear.

“Yeah…yeah, it…it is…” He said happily. He let out a laugh when he felt Enty run up and hug him, his friend’s embrace reassuring and safe.

Gabriel closed his eyes a moment, taking it all in. He was away from the stress of the modern world. He had his three best friends beside him. They cared about him. They loved him. And he was ok. For the moment…his fears were miles away.

And he was happy.

~

"Woah..." Gabriel said wistfully, peering through the telescope brought by Aaron. He was looking at the stars much closer...he could see details he couldn't see before. Scarecrow and Enty were getting their stuff from the car while Aaron let Gabriel check out the telescope, as he's never used one before.

"Right, hold on.." Aaron said, adjusting the controls on the telescope slightly. "Ok, now try." He said, checking his notes of coordinates. Gabriel nodded and leaned back down, placing his eye against the device. His heart skipped when he saw something he's never seen before in the sky.

"Wh-what is...that..."

"So you know how we are inside a galaxy? The Milky Way?" Aaron said, a smile on his face.

"Y-yeah..."

"Does that look like the picture I showed you?"

Gabriel kept staring through the device, and far in the distance he saw a slightly colorful cluster of stars, slightly...disc shaped...

"Yeah...but...what am I..."

"That's another galaxy, Gabe." Aaron said, his smile widening when Gabriel pulled back and looked at him in wonder.

"It...is?"

"Andromeda is it's name. It's the closest other galaxy to our own." Aaron said, proud of all the research he did for this. "It's an entire other galaxy, Gabe. Trillions upon trillions of stars and planets."

"W-woah..." Gabriel whispered, his mind not comprehending what he was seeing. "But...if our galaxy has us...does that galaxy have life?"

"Hard to say, Gabe." Aaron said, eying the wide expanse of sky. "It's too far for us to see it up close, and it's a gigantic galaxy. There _could_ be life there...who knows." He said calmly, the question spinning around his own mind.

"You think we will ever meet other life?"

"Again, hard to say. But I mean...we met each other through the most random and improbable circumstances." Aaron said, sitting on the ground beside Gabriel, putting his hand on the younger man's back. "Meeting alien life seems almost probable compared to what we've seen"

"Woah..." Gabriel said, his gaze stuck on the tiny galaxy just barely visible in the telescope. There could be other life there. There could be other worlds on distant planets. He may never know in his lifetime, but...it was a nice thought. Who knows...maybe they would meet life from beyond the stars someday. 

Maybe...

~

“Geez, why can’t we get this back home?” Scarecrow said in annoyance, laying on a blanket on the grass as he held one of Enty’s cookies in his hand. Enty had packed them for the trip.

“It’s all about light pollution and atmospheric conditions, Crow.” Aaron said, laying down beside him, another blanket in his hands. “This is a state park with not a city for miles. This is as clear as we can see the sky this side of the country.”

“So, the Milky Way…we are inside it, yes?” Gabriel asked, recalling what he had learned of modern astronomy as he laid down between Aaron and Scarecrow. In his time…these things were unheard of. He was trying to educate himself and keep up, but there was just so much.

“Yes, Earth is just one planet out of…billions in the galaxy. We haven’t even come close to exploring all of it.” Aaron said, happy when he looked beside him and saw Gabriel was totally relaxed, a calm smile on his face. He too had one of Enty’s cookies in his hand.

“It’s so big…” Enty said, lying beside Scarecrow. “I thought the moon was big…”

“Oh, the Milky Way is unimaginably big.” Aaron said, sitting up. He pulled out a photo he had printed of the galaxy and handed it to Gabriel, who eyed it with wide eyes. “We’re just on the edge, here…” Aaron said, pointing to the photo. “But the entire thing is a giant spiral in space-”

“Shaped like a Pringle.” Scarecrow said, a sly smile on his face. Aaron just took in a breath and shook his head.

“Y-yes, shaped…like a Pringle…” He said tiredly. “It’s warped a bit, but it is still disc-shaped.”

“And what part is that?” Gabriel said, pointing up to the sky at the complex cluster of stars above them, the line streaking across the sky.

“We are located in one of the farther spiral arms…that’s what that streak is above us. We’re looking at it from the inside.” Aaron said, lying back down beside Gabriel. Gabriel leaned back as well; his eyes still wide as he stared at the countless stars above him.

“That’s Polaris…” Gabriel said, pointing to a brighter star in the sky beside the Milky Way.

“That one?” Aaron said, adjusting his glasses as he followed Gabriel’s direction.

“Yeah…the north star…I used that one to help find my way sometimes back home, when I had to travel a few times…” He said, recalling his time back home. Or…it was once home.

He looked beside him, eying his friends. He saw Enty staring at the sky with similar wide and sparkling eyes, his shadows making him blend into the darkness around him. Scarecrow was…relaxed. Gabriel smiled, enjoying seeing Scarecrow actually lower his defenses a bit as he laid down, his hands under his head as he stared above him. Gabriel looked to the other side and saw Aaron eying another star map, repeatedly glancing up to the sky as he pointed to the map, muttering softly to himself as he tried to figure things out.

Gabriel smiled as he relaxed as well. This… _was_ his home now. Even if he could go back to his time…he wouldn’t. He couldn’t leave his friends behind. They did all this just for him…

He could never leave them. He felt safe with them. He was happy with them. He wished Elderane could be here, but…maybe someday he would be. He would find a way. Then everything would be perfect.

He looked back to the sky, his mind easing. He was happy. He was home.

Gabriel’s eyes widened when he saw a glittering light streak quickly across the sky, the brightest one he had ever seen.

“Oh, did you see that? A shooting star, Gabe!” Aaron said brightly, glancing beside him.

“Shooting…star?” Gabriel said, his mind still reeling on what he had just seen. He had seen those before…only smaller. He assumed them just…weather things. Like lightning.

“Do you not know what shooting stars are, Gabe?” Scarecrow said, glancing beside him. Gabriel shook his head.

“I…have seen them, never that big though…but I assumed them weather illusions…” He muttered, the glittering streak still replaying in his mind.

“Gabe, those are meteors!” Aaron said brightly.

“Meteor…” Gabriel muttered, his mind recalling that…somewhat familiar word. He must have read it somewhere, but he never dug deeper.

“It’s a giant rock burning up in the sky, basically.” Scarecrow said calmly. “It’s pretty metal.”

“It’s…it’s a what?”

“Gabriel, in space, sometimes rocks from far away come close to Earth, and when they enter the sky, the extreme heat makes them burn up, and they streak across the sky like what you just saw!” Aaron said, pointing to the sky.

“They do not…hit Earth?”

“No, no, rarely.” Aaron said calmly. “They are small, so they burn up before they hit the ground.”

“Where do they come from?” Gabriel asked brightly. He didn’t know any of this.

“Well, some are actually space junk that humans sent into space that burns up one it comes down, some are debris from passing comets, and some are just random small rocks floating in space that happen to come this way.” Aaron explained.

“And you make wishes on them! I read that.” Enty said, glancing over.

“You…do?” Gabriel asked, glancing back up at the sky.

“Yeah, I guess.” Scarecrow said with a shrug. “It’s like a good luck thing.”

“I see…” Gabriel said, eying the sky. He thought back to the streak he had seen. A wish…

He glanced beside him again and saw Scarecrow and Enty trying to find the box of cookies in the darkness. He looked to the other side and saw Aaron staring at the sky, the starry sky reflecting in his glasses somewhat.

Gabriel…wished that this lasted. He had never had a…family like this before. He had lost so many friends in his life. He had been thrown throughs so many worlds. He wished these friends stayed. He wished he was able to stay with them. He wished…that he was right.

That this truly was his home. Where he was meant to be. He wished it was true, and he wished his friends would turn out ok. He didn’t know what he’d do if he lost someone else he cared about as he had so many in his past.

Gabriel gazed at the sky, his eyes sparkling like the stars above him as he felt another tear well up in his eye. He wished with all he had that this lasted.

This _was_ his home. And he was happy here.

“Oh, there’s another one!” Enty said, pointing to the sky. Gabriel saw what Enty saw and watched another glittering light streak across the sky.

“It’s easy to see them out here…” Aaron said calmly. “Oh, maybe we can see some satellites…” He said, adjusting his glasses again.

“Satellites?” Gabriel asked, amusement in his voice. Aaron smiled, happy to have found some technology that Gabriel would be interested in.

The four of them sat on the blanket for the rest of the night, with Aaron and Scarecrow explaining modern astronomy to Gabriel and Enty as they watched the sky. They looked out for more shooting stars, and Gabriel made sure to wish for something each time.

As he saw more and more, he found himself wishing for his friends. He wished Enty found himself someday, and was happy. He wished Aaron found what he was looking for in life, and was happy. And Gabriel wished Scarecrow found happiness. He deserved it. And if the wish failed…Gabriel would help him find it himself.

He would do anything for his friends.

As the night ticked on, the weather got a bit colder, but Aaron rolled out the blankets they brought, the group lying under them, safe from the cold air outside as they gazed at the stars. Gabriel spent time teaching Aaron what he knew about the stars and how to travel with them, and Aaron taught him about space phenomenon that Gabriel was unfamiliar with.

Scarecrow was just happy that things were calm and peaceful, and he didn’t say it, but he enjoyed listening to his friends banter about space. Enty was taking in the happy vibes around him, his heart warm as his friends were by his side. He loved the dark and he loved the stars, and he couldn’t be happier than right here with all his friends by his side.

The group laid there the rest of the night, all troubles and fears faded away, if just for the moment. Under the starry sky, they were ok. Nothing could hurt them, and nothing could separate them. Gabriel smiled as he took in the feeling of his friends beside him.

He gazed at the galaxy above him, the expanse more beautiful than anything he had ever seen. He let out a breath, his fear totally gone. He smiled once more and stared at the stars, his mind drifting off as he thought about the universe, and all that was beyond.

And he was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I have had this draft in my doc for MONTHS good GOSH.
> 
> THINGS:  
> -I have unreleased bonus scene of Gabriel when he first came to reality that I'll post eventually. He sees a blank light-polluted sky and thinks this world has no stars, crushing his hope as that was the one thing he knew well.  
> -Later, Scarecrow takes him out of the city for a bit and Gabriel sees stars again for the first time, even though they are still city stars. He still cries.  
> -Gabriel loves space (hence the strand lights in his room)  
> -Aaron is enjoying being able to nerd out  
> -Scarecrow is just enjoying the vibes  
> -So is Enty  
> -This is like two weeks after the prompt "Human Shield" so yes, Gabe is VERY on edge  
> -PTSD will do that bruh  
> -He'll be ok tho, don't worry  
> -I did little research for the space stuff so if I'm wrong on something Eh whatever  
> -Idk what sky looked like IN Gab's time, and I assume it was close to this. I know atmospheric conditions back then affected quality as well. Gab is especially moved because he hasn't seen a sky like this in years, so he's nearly forgotten what it looked like. He HAS seen a sky like this, but it's been so long...


	16. Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel and Scarecrow are stuck in a storm.

**Prompt: 11: Storm**

_Featuring: Avantasia protags_

“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me…” Scarecrow grumbled, wringing some water out of his jacket as he stood beneath the bus stop. “Next bus won’t be here till tomorrow…” He muttered in defeat, eying the schedule on the side of the wall.

“Ah…so we are stuck here, then?” Gabriel said, peering over Scarecrow’s shoulder. Scarecrow sighed, his guilt taking him by the throat.

“Just overnight, it seems…I’m sorry, Gabe this is all my fault…” He grumbled, a chilly wind blowing some of the rain into the shelter. He had gotten into a fight with a bar owner and lost out on a gig, meaning no money, and thus…no hotel.

Looks like they were sleeping outside again.

Normally it was ok, as it was summer and not too cold, but a thunderstorm was raging outside, the rain pounding away against the plastic shelter around them. Occasionally a bolt of lightning would flash, lighting the entire area up.

“It’s ok! As long as we’re together, I don’t care where we are!” Gabriel said happily, sitting himself down on the bench. Scarecrow sighed and sauntered over, sitting beside his friend. He had tried so hard to take care of him, and now the two were sleeping outside in a thunderstorm. And it was Scarecrow’s fault. He didn’t want Gabriel to have to live like this, but…

Here they were.

Scarecrow leaned back, closing his eyes and he let his guilt take him. He flinched when he felt something soft be placed over him. He looked down and saw Gabriel had put his fleece blanket over the two of them.

“It’s cold! But we’ll be ok.” Gabriel said, edging a bit closer. Scarecrow smiled and shook his head, leaning his head back again.

He didn’t deserve Gabriel.

“Alright, well, try to sleep…it’ll suck if you’re sleep deprived tomorrow.” Scarecrow said, getting himself comfortable. He saw Gabriel nod and the younger man closed his eyes, doing his best to ignore the raging storm outside.

Scarecrow usually didn’t like such close contact, but…this was his fault. It was cold and wet and they were outside because of him. So, he let Gabriel hang close to him. It was the least he could do.

After a while, he assumed Gabriel had indeed fallen asleep, the younger man now totally silent as he breathed calmly beside him. Scarecrow tried to sleep, but…couldn’t. So, he just stared at the rain, his mind blank. He occasionally saw some large streaks of lightning flash across the sky, with some low but pounding rolls of thunder following. It was a bad storm.

Scarecrow’s attention was then grabbed by a new sound, a small whimper. After another giant pound of thunder, he felt Gabriel flinch, the younger man stirring in his sleep.

“Gabe?” Scarecrow asked, not sure what to do. It…looked like he was having a nightmare. Gabriel was leaning the other way, though Scarecrow could see a look of distress on his face as he twitched slightly, a few whimpers escaping him with every clash of thunder.

“Th…th’ fire…no…t-tower…” Gabriel muttered fearfully, almost unintelligibly. Scarecrow just blinked, his mind at a loss. What was Gabriel dreaming about that scared him so badly?

Not wanting Gabriel to be so scared, Scarecrow gently shook his friend, hoping to rouse him.

“Gabe? Hey you’re alright, buddy…” Scarecrow said, relieved when Gabriel’s eyes opened. Though when he did…Scarecrow could see the terror in his eyes. Absolute terror. “Ga-”

Another piercing clash of thunder shook the shelter, and immediately Gabriel let out a cry as he huddled in on himself, covering his ears as he trembled.

“Gabe!” Scarecrow yelled, shaking his friend again. Gabriel shot up and blinked his eyes, his breathing somewhat labored. Scarecrow turned his friend towards him. “Gabe, hey, chill…”

“C-Crow?” Gabriel managed, his gaze finally locking on Scarecrow. Scarecrow nodded with a smile.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s me. You seem to be having some nightmare, bud…do storms scare you that bad?” He asked, confused. Gabriel had never shown a fear of storms before. Gabriel shook his head, letting out a breath as his heart eased.

“No…no, I am not…it is just the sound…it…reminded me of something…”

“What?”

“N-nothing…just…something dangerous…I don’t remember the dream anymore, I am fine…” Gabriel said quickly, hoping Scarecrow stopped prying. Scarecrow blinked, looking his still shaken friend over.

Gabriel didn’t want to tell him. Scarecrow knew there was a lot Gabriel didn’t tell him, but…he didn’t pry. Not yet. Not when Gabriel was so shaken by being thrown into this modern world. He would tell Scarecrow when he was ready. Until then…

“Well…nothing will hurt you while I’m around, Gabe.” Scarecrow said proudly, a reassuring smile on his face. “And anything that does hurt you will meet my fist.”

Gabriel’s eyes widened as he looked at Scarecrow, the man smiling beside him. Gabriel knew it was a nice thought…but Scarecrow wouldn’t stand a chance against what Gabriel had been thinking about. But hopefully…they would never meet.

“Oh…thank you, Crow…” Gabriel said, edging just a bit closer to his friend. Scarecrow rolled his eyes and put his arm around Gabriel, pulling him a bit closer in an attempt to block out the cold.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now try to sleep again, and tell whoever was bothering you that if they try it again…I’ll come in there and kick their ass.” He said with a snicker. Gabriel smiled wider and nodded, taking in the feeling of Scarecrow holding him close.

“I will…thank you, Crow.” He said, closing his eyes. Scarecrow smiled and nodded, looking back ahead towards the rain.

“Anything for you, ya time capsule…” He muttered to himself, out of earshot. Scarecrow took in the silence of the moment, though he flinched when he felt Gabriel lean his head against his shoulder.

“You’re the best, Crow…” Gabriel whispered, closing his eyes as he huddled against his friend. Scarecrow looked down with wide eyes as Gabriel slept against him, his expression once again peaceful. Shaking his head, Scarecrow adjusted the fleece blanket over the two of them and leaned his own head back, taking in the feeling of not being alone. Of having someone who cared about him. Of having someone to care about.

Scarecrow…sometimes didn’t believe that this was real. He had been alone and unloved for so long, and now…

He had someone.

Smiling, Scarecrow relaxed against Gabriel as the storm began to fade, the thunder and lightning moving on as a gentle rain took over, the silence of the night beginning to take over the dark street. The storm was over, and Scarecrow found himself drifting off as the silence of the night began to fade in as the rain finally began to calm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just something small, nothin much but Bonding and Friendship ohohoh
> 
> Big bro Crow leetle bro Gabby foreverrrr
> 
> SHELTER FROM THE RAIN

**Author's Note:**

> Fun-shots featuring Avantasia protags + Angel AU Andre and Tobi
> 
> (SEE "FIC TIMELINES" FIC FOR CHAPTER/FIC ORDER-CHAPTERS ARE NOT POSTED CHRONOLOGICALLY)


End file.
